Good News for Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian Travellers: Thailand to Allow Foreign Tourists to Stay Longer as Covid Covid Curbs Ease

The proposal by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to increase the term of stay to 45 days for visitors from countries/territories entitled to visa exemption and 30 days for those eligible for a Visa on Arrival was authorized by Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Beginning on October 1, 2022, and ending on March 31, 2023, this measure will remain in force. This was suggested by TAT to boost the next high season, which typically lasts from October to March.

 

For visitors from a few countries, the length of stay per visit will be increased over these six months. This year, Thailand wants to attract more visitors and accelerate economic growth. According to Bloomberg, 3.78 million foreign arrivals generated 4.9 billion USD in revenue for the country between January 1 and August 17. In comparison to the same period of the previous year, there were 3,214% more tourists

1. Passport holders of the following nations and territories who are eligible to enter Thailand without a visa will have their maximum stay per visit increased from 30 days to 45 days from October 2022 to March 2023: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UAE, UK, Ukraine, and the USA.

2. For passport holders of the following nations and territories—Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu, who are eligible to apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA), the permitted length of stay per visit will be increased from 15 days to 30 days during October 2022 – March 2023.

3. Additionally, as part of bilateral agreements, citizens of the following nations and territories are exempt from requiring a visa to enter Thailand: Cambodia (14 days), Myanmar (14 days), Hong Kong (30 days), Lao PDR (30 days), Macau (30 days), Mongolia (30 days), Russia (30 days and VOA), Vietnam (30 days), Argentina (90 days), Brazil (90 days), Chile (90 days), Korea (ROK) (90 days), and Peru (90 days).

Please be aware that certain citizens must only apply for visas prior to their travels at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Consulate-General in the nation where they now reside or at the authorized Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate-General. Travelers are therefore recommended to get in touch with the closest Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General to determine their eligibility for applying.

If you are not sure whether you have to apply for a visa, please check www.thaievisa.go.th, the official website of the Thailand Electronic Visa.

Thailand cordially welcomes visitors from all nations and territories who can show proof of 2-dose vaccination, in the case of those who are not vaccinated, negative RT-PCR, or professional ATK test results within 72 hours of departure. These can be either in print or digital form. Arrivals at Thai international airports or land border crossings may be subject to random inspections (in 22 provinces).

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated/incompletely vaccinated travelers are recommended to follow health and safety regulations when visiting Thailand. Travelers should get checked if they show any symptoms similar to COVID. If they test positive for COVID, they must receive the necessary medical care.

Reference: TAT News

Kindly note the information is to serve as reference only and is subject to change without prior notice. It is important to check in regularly on www.tatnews.org and https://consular.mfa.go.th/.

In case of inquiry, travelers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Hungary, and Montenegro, are advised to consult with the Consular department of the Royal Thai Embassy in Budapest.

Address: 1025 Budapest, Verecke út 79., Hungary
Tel : +36-1-438-4020
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 09.00-12.00 & 13.00-17.00 hrs.
Email for consular inquiries: consular@thaiembassy.hu
Website: https://budapest.thaiembassy.org/

Travelers from Romania and Bulgaria are advised to consult with the Consular department of the Royal Thai Embassy in Bucharest.

Address: 12 Vasile Conta Street, Sector 2, Bucharest 020953
Tel : + 40 21 311 0031
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 09.00 – 12.00 hrs. & 13.00 – 14.30 hrs.
Email for consular inquiries: consular.BUH@mfa.mail.go.th
Website: https://bucharest.thaiembassy.org/

Meanwhile, travelers from Serbia are advised to consult with the Consular department of the Royal Thai Embassy in Athens.

Address: 25 Marathonodromou Street, Paleo Psychico, Athens 15452, Greece
Tel : +30 210 6710 155, +30 210 6749 065, +30 210 6756 978
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 09.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00 hrs
Email for consular inquiries: thai-con@otenet.gr
Website: https://athens.thaiembassy.org/