Thailand To Allow Foreign Tourists To Extend Stay As Covid Eases

Thailand will allow an extended length of stay for overseas tourists between September and March in a bid to sustain its economic recovery as torment from Covid-19 ease.

Travellers and tourists from 18 countries coming to Thailand on visa arrival category will be permitted to double the length of their visit for up to a month, a spokesman for Thailand's main Covid task force, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, said on Friday.

Travellers from more than 48 countries that currently get a month's stay will be able to extend their visit for up to 45 days. Thailand is expecting an increase in tourist arrivals will help strengthen its economic growth this year even though the rate is still expected to be the most insufficient in the Southeast Asia region. Between Jan. 2 and Aug. 15, the nation earned 167.3 billion baht ($4.5 billion) in revenue from 3.72 million overseas arrivals. The number of visitors jumped 3,314% from the period last year.

"We are extending their stay," Taweesilp said. "This will aid tourist spending, lessen the impact of the pandemic and restore the economy.
Earlier this August, a government spokesman said the country aims to attract 12 million international tourists in 2022, compared with the 6.2 million predicted in May. The number of tourists is seen to rise to 25 million people in 2023, still shy of the 35 million who traversed the country in the year 2029.

Thailand will demote Covid-19 from a "Life-threatening" communicable illness to one that "needs monitoring" beginning from September first week, a month earlier than planned.