Travelling to Thailand this holiday season is about to get easier for citizens of 20 countries around the world.
Home Phutoey Resort sits above a picturesque bend in the Khwae river, with a backdrop of craggy karst hills. Image by ©Justin Foulkes/Lonely Planet
From 15 November to 13 January, 2019, the government is exempting travellers from paying the 2000 Baht (US$60) visa-on-arrival fee. The following countries have been exempted: Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China including Taiwan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
A bodhi tree has almost completely covered the Buddha at Wat Mahathat. Image by ©Justin Foulkes/Lonely Planet
That means that passport holders from those countries who are touring Thailand for no more than 15 days will have a smoother time entering the country. Since the visa waiver comes during the New Year celebrations, the tourism authority is hoping this will attract people to the many events happening around the country, including a number of music festivals held around the New Year.
Spicy hot Kerala fish curry in a black bowl. Image by ©Santhosh Varghese/Shutterstock
Thailand has long been a tourism hotspot, but a number of emerging destinations around the world are similarly trying to entice travellers by waiving visas. Central Asia has seen a wave of countries making it easier for travellers to visit, including Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
How much freedom travellers have to cross borders around the world is largely dependent on what passport they hold. The Henley Passport Index recently revealed that Japan has the world’s most powerful passport – meaning citizens can travel to 190 countries visa-free, the most of any country in the world. Japan knocked Singapore out of the top spot.
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