Long stay tourist visas to Thailand announced today – 90 days, renewable

“Long-stay visitors could begin arriving next month.”

The Thai cabinet has approved a plan to allow foreign tourists to come to Thailand but they’ll have to agree to mandatory 14 day quarantine and stay for at least 90 days. The cabinet is hoping the new extended tourist visa will be part of the rebooting of the tourist and hospitality economy.

Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the government would issue “special tourist visas” for visitors who would have to come for at least 90 days. The new 90 day special tourist visa would be able to be extended twice, for 90 days each time. Long-stay visitors could begin arriving next month, according to the PMs announcement today. (Basic provisions of today’s announcement below)

“The most important condition would be a 14 day quarantine.”

“Visitors can arrive for tourism or health services, and they can stay at alternative state quarantine facilities, specific areas or at hospitals that function as quarantine facilities. Our public health system is amongst the best in the world and people can have confidence in it.”

At this stage the announcement has brought up as many questions as it answers. Will people, currently in Thailand on an expired tourist visa (because of the visa amnesty) be able to ‘roll over’ onto the new visa, or will they have to leave the country and re-apply. Will people be able to ‘convert’ the new long stay visa into other visa from within the country?

The new ‘STV visas’ which will cost 2,000 baht and will last for 90 days each. When expired, a Thai Immigration Office will allow for the visa to be extended 2 times, a cumulative total of 270 days stay. The new visa regulation will be in effect until September 30, 2021 and may be extended beyond that time.

The prime minister says the CCSA will provide more details about the visa in coming days.

Traisulee Traisaranakul, the Government’s deputy spokeswoman, says the new long-stay visitors would have to present proof of payment for their 90 day+ stay in the country, including payment for a hotel reservations, lease of a condo, flight confirmations, etc.

The government noted that it doesn’t have the ability to fully re-open to tourism at the moment as they have to be able to process incoming visitors and find approved locations for them to serve their 14 day quarantine.”The target is to welcome 100-300 visitors a week, or up to 1,200 people a month, and generate income of about 1 billion baht a month.”