Saved $1200！ Thailand waives visa fees starting December — applicable to Taiwanese travelers too

Travel Center / Comprehensive report

The Thai government announced on the22nd that it will waive visa fees for three months starting in December, but visas are still required; the recently increased visa-on-arrival fee has also been reverted to 1,000 Thai baht, and the policy applies to Taiwanese travelers as well, in hopes of attracting more visitors to Thailand.

▲ Illustration of Bangkok. (Photo / mimi Han)

▲ Illustration of Thai visa. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)

Currently, Taiwanese travelers visiting Thailand pay 1,200 NT dollars for a single-entry tourist visa. According to a report by the Central News Agency, in order to boost tourism, Thai authorities will waive visa fees for three months from December 1st until the end of February next year, but travelers still need to apply for a visa at the Thai Trade and Economic Office. In addition, the visa-on-arrival fee, which was raised to 2,000 Thai baht at the end of September, will be reduced back to the original price of 1,000 Thai baht starting in December.

Thailand has been strictly cracking down on zero-dollar tour groups in recent months. Although this has helped clean up the tourism market, it has also led to a significant drop in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand. Coupled with the period of national mourning following the passing of the Thai king — during which entertainment activities were banned for a month — overseas tourist numbers have sharply declined. To revive tourism, the Thai government hopes to use incentives such as waived visa fees and reduced visa-on-arrival costs to attract visitors back.