More categories of foreigners to be granted entry to Thailand

“…business people on a non-immigrant visa but without a work permit can enter, provided they can show savings of at least 500,000 baht over the previous 6 months.”

The Thai government is expanding the groups of foreigners who can enter Thailand, after a meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday. CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin says athletes competing in tournaments held in the Kingdom will also be given permission to enter.

It’s understood the first group to arrive will be cyclists taking part in a royal marathon cycling event, as well as badminton players coming for a world tour taking place in Thailand in January 2021.

In addition to sports people, Nation Thailand reports that business people on a non-immigrant visa but without a work permit can enter, provided they can show savings of at least 500,000 baht over the previous 6 months.

At yesterday’s meeting, the government also approved the Special Tourist Visa, with the PM asking officials from the Tourism and Foreign Ministries to agree a context and guidelines that would put Thailand’s interests first. Tourists desperate to return to Thailand, and happy to put up with the bureaucracy and cost involved, should contact their nearest Thai Embassy to enquire about the STV.

Additional information can be found HERE, at the website of the Thailand Longstay Company, set up specifically to handle the enquiries relating to the STV.

The Thailand Longstay Company was established in 2001 with the endorsement of the Thai Royal Government to support long stay tourism. As the Tourism Authority of Thailand is a major shareholder of the company, we aim to provide the best services to retired expatriates to promote the tourism industry of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Since the establishment, the company has signed many MOU with many government organisations such as the Immigration Bureau, Tourist Police, and the Airports of Thailand.

Therefore, we specialize in doing a 1-year retirement visa and STV visa for foreigners and other matters related to the immigration procedure of Thailand. We will go through the bureaucratic procedure for our clients. This is the ultimate convenience that we provide.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman says 150 approved foreigners are expected to arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, beginning October 8. Holders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Card, who hail from “low-risk” countries, can now also Thailand. These include Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

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