Japan’s visa-free privileges for Thais safe despite overstay concerns
Fears of a potential withdrawal of Japan’s visa-free privileges due to an increased number of Thais overstaying their visas have been dismissed by travel operators. The Department of Consular Affairs brought attention to this issue last December, revealing an increase in the number of Thais overstaying from 8,688 in 2021 to 11,472 in 2023.
Reports suggest that the Japanese government has urged Thailand to promptly tackle this problem, warning that the visa-free policy could be at risk by 2025 if left unaddressed. Despite this, Chotechuang Soorangura, the vice-president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, has assured Thai travellers that the number of over-stayers, when compared to the 995,500 outbound tourists from Thailand in 2023, is relatively small, accounting for less than 2% of the market.
Chotechuang further added that if Japan does decide to reintroduce visa requirements, it would likely only be implemented post-Expo 2025, hosted by Osaka from April to October. This aligns with Tokyo’s commitment to accommodate the influx of tourists for the six-month event.
Interestingly, Chotechuang explained that the issue of illegal workers is less pertinent in Japan than in South Korea due to the weak yen. The relatively lower salary when converted from yen to baht resulted in a decreased demand for illegal workers from Japanese employers.
Further, he suggested that Thai visitors need not worry about stricter immigration screening processes at Japanese airports as the country continues to rely heavily on tourism for economic growth. He asserted that Thai tourists, compared to other nationalities, usually abide by Japanese customs and cause fewer concerns.
However, Chotechuang also cautioned that due to the ongoing issue of over-tourism in Japan, more attractions may begin imposing levies or even bans to manage visitor numbers. This follows the introduction of a US$13 fee and a daily visitor quota at Mount Fuji, and a proposed new levy on foreign travellers in Osaka. Notably, Kyoto’s famous district, Gion, is set to ban foreign tourists from private streets from April due to locals’ unease over the surging visitor numbers, reported Bangkok Post.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation reported that 90,600 Thais visited Japan in January, while 74,205 Japanese travelled to Thailand in the same period. Since July 2013, Japan has waived visas for Thai visitors to boost the tourism industry following the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. This scheme was temporarily paused during the pandemic but was reinstated in October 2022.
