The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sport is again considering issuing five-year visas for long-term visitors.
The visas would enjoy high demand among foreign visitors who stay in the Kingdom for an extended period of time, but do not qualify for non-immigrant visas based on marriage, business or retirement. That would significantly add to the Kingdom’s attractiveness and competitiveness, proponents argue.
A similar program offering ten-year visas was introduced in neighboring Malaysia, and Thai officials believe this is a good benchmark to follow.
The issue has been brought up repeatedly in recent years, but each time, implementation was delayed or suspended.
The number of long-term visitors in Thailand increases by 5-10% each year.