Travel to Thailand

On August 23, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Thailand announced that they are accelerating the implementation of a new system, a new travel requirement for visitors to Thailand, that would introduce a mandatory requirement for all tourists once operational. Starting in December 2024, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system will be introduced and all foreigners looking to travel to Thailand under the visa exemption scheme will be required to enroll in it from June 2025 onwards. The ETA was announced alongside the Thai government’s plan to expand its visa exemption and visa-on-arrival programs to include additional nationalities. Given that this will potentially lead to a massive influx of visitors to the Kingdom, the government is implementing this and other public security measures to better track foreigners without a registered visa. What Is Thailand’s New ETA System? Thailand isn’t the first country to introduce this program. Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) systems are part of the immigration requirements of other countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada. According to the MFA, the ETA program enables foreigners entering visa-free to be screened before entry into Thailand, taking the burden of registering these visitors off of immigration officials. It is

Tourism Minister Sorawong Thientong has announced plans to revive the 300-baht Thai tourist tax on all incoming tourists to Thailand after it was shelved during the previous administration led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. When the rule goes into effect, all tourists, whether entering Thailand by air, sea, or land, will be subject to a tourism fee upon arrival. About Thailand’s Tourist Tax This tourist tax scheme has been in discussion for several years as a way to both improve the economy and counter over-tourism in Thailand. It had even been approved by the Thai Cabinet in 2022 but has not been endorsed via publication in the Royal Gazette due to backlash from the private sector. However, Mr. Sorawong is looking to change this as he states, “I believe the collection of the tourism fee benefits the tourism industry since the revenue can be used for the development of infrastructure and attractions, along with ensuring tourist safety.” Though Mr. Sorawong is pushing for the implementation of the Thai tourist tax scheme, he has also expressed that more time is needed to study the readiness of the system and for the ministry to finalize the collection procedure in a way that

On August 23, the Division of International Disease Control and Quarantine, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), and the Ministry of Public Health came to a consensus to reintroduce the requirement for the Thailand Pass for several countries in response to recent news of a monkeypox outbreak in Thailand. What is the Thailand Pass? The Thailand Pass was first introduced in November 2021 and replaced the Certificate of Entry (COE), a certificate that individuals needed to acquire from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate before being allowed entry into Thailand. It offers a more streamlined process than the COE, as everything can be applied for and obtained online. The purpose of the Thailand Pass is to ensure that those coming into Thailand from certain countries are clear of any dangerous diseases such as yellow fever and monkeypox by having applicants provide their travel and medical information to an online form. Once approved, applicants will receive a QR Code that will allow them to travel to Thailand. Less than a year after it was introduced, the requirement to obtain a Thailand Pass before traveling to Thailand was dropped in July 2022. However, it has become a requirement once more after