Thailand’s visa fee exemption confirmed not to be extended – last one week as travelers rush to apply

Reporter Chen Zi-Yin / Taipei

Thailand’s tourist visa fee exemption is set to end this week, sparking a “rush to apply for Thai visas.” Since Monday, long queues have formed outside the Thai Trade Office as people line up to collect number tickets, with over 200 people queuing daily—all aiming to catch the final opportunity for the free visa. The Thai government has officially announced that the visa fee exemption will run until November 8, but the Thai Trade Office is closed on Saturdays, so applicants must complete their free visa application by the 7th at the latest.


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To stimulate Thailand’s tourism market, which has been sluggish since the beginning of this year, the Thai government introduced a visa fee exemption for Taiwanese travelers in August, with the policy set to end on November 8. This means that those who apply for a Thai visa before that date will have a validity period extending up to February 8 of the following year—just in time before the Lunar New Year holiday. Originally, Taiwanese travel agencies and tourists had hoped the Thai government would extend the visa fee exemption to accommodate the peak travel season during the winter break and Lunar New Year. However, it has now been confirmed that the exemption will not be continued.

According to statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, since the implementation of the visa fee exemption, there have been over a thousand visa applications per day—an overall increase of 85% compared to the period before the exemption. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also estimates that the number of travelers visiting Thailand next year could reach 148 million, an increase of about 9% compared to this year’s projections.

Sui Gui-Zhen, head of the Southeast Asia line at the Taiwan Travel Agents Association and deputy general manager of Ximei Travel Agency, stated that the visa fee exemption mainly impacts independent travelers, though group tour bookings have also seen an overall growth of 30% to 40%. Although the visa fee exemption will not be extended this time, the travel association and quality assurance organizations are still actively negotiating with Thai officials for the possibility of another visa fee exemption in the future.

※ The visa fee exemption does not mean visa-free travel—it simply waives the original NT$1,200 fee for applying for a Thai tourist visa during the promotion period, resulting in considerable savings on travel costs. Additionally, the Thai visa is valid for three months. For example, if you apply on the last day, November 7, you can use the visa any time before February 7 of the following year. Travelers who need a visa should take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts.

Although the Thai visa application is free of charge, applicants still need to prepare the necessary documents. Key points to note for visa processing are as follows: