BANGKOK, 24 September 2015: Thailand will grant multiple-entry tourist visa for travellers valid for six months but each visit cannot exceed 60 days.

The visa will be available from 13 November and is expected to be a boon for travellers from China and India.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the regulation via its Facebook, on Tuesday, stating: “Thailand will soon grant multiple-entry visas to visitors to facilitate the forthcoming ASEAN Community and to boost Thailand’s tourism industry.”

The multiple-entry tourist visa (METV), will cost THB5,000, and is available to all foreign nationals, but it understood it will mostly benefit travellers from China and India who are required to apply for visas, either at an embassy, or through a visa-on-arrival (India) scheme. The latter is time-consuming and causes congestion in the terminal building during peak travel months.

It will be most useful for tourists who want to make frequent trips to Thailand, possibly combining the visits with trips to neighbouring countries either for leisure or business.

It has little relevance to ASEAN citizens as they can enter the country for 15-days without a visa. There are no limits on the number of trips they can make using the visa-free facility.

Therefore the ministry’s reference to it improving travel after the implementation of the AEC is obscure and would require clarification.

Most European nationals are eligible for visa-free stays of between 30 and 60 days.

The maximum stay on the new visa is 60 days so technically a visitor could make three trips to cover the six months validity. They would then have to reapply for a new visa in their home-country. It is doubtful that Thai embassies in a third country would issue this kind of visa as it would then be used by people who seek employment in the country without applying for a non-immigrant visa and a work permit.

The new multiple entry tourist visa was first announced back in August, but was officially confirmed following its publication in the Government Gazette 14 September.

Currently, citizens of 30 to 40 countries can enter the kingdom without a visa for 30 to 60 days. They cannot extend their stay. If they wish to stay longer, they need to have a 30-day tourist visa that can be extended for another 30 days at a cost of THB1,000 to give them a maximum of 60 days in the country.

See the ministry Facebook page visit https://www.facebook.com/ThaiMFA/.