Thailand and Timor-Leste have approved a mutual visa-free agreement under which citizens of both countries holding ordinary passports will be permitted unrestricted access for stays of up to 30 days.
According to the Timor-Leste government, visa exemptions were previously applied only to citizens of both countries with service and diplomatic passports.
However, in line with the new rules, ordinary passport holders of Thailand and Timor-Leste will now be able to enter each other’s territory without the need to undergo the visa procedures provided that they are traveling for tourism purposes and their stay does not exceed the 30-day limit, VisaGuide.World reports.
Intending to promote tourism between the two countries even further, the government said the new move will focus on expanding cooperation in several key areas, including health, agriculture, education and human resources development.
Timor-Leste Minister Bendito Freitas also visited Kasetsart University, where he attended a presentation on research on innovation and technology applied to the agriculture and fisheries sectors. The university, which has 80 years of history, expressed interest in cooperating with Timor-Leste and welcoming Timorese students to deepen their knowledge and practices in these areas.
Moreover, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the cabinet that the visa waiver is a condition for Timor-Leste to seek full ASEAN membership by 2025. ASEAN granted observer status to Timor-Leste in 2022 as part of a roadmap to become the bloc’s 11th full member.
Following the roadmap, Timor-Leste must sign 66 key agreements, including the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement.
4 Southeast Asian Nations Can Enter Thailand More Than Twice in a Calendar Year Under Tourist Visa Waiver Scheme
As the Thai government revealed, foreign visitors coming through air, land/sea/air border checkpoints under the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme are permitted unrestricted entry only twice in a calendar year, except nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Singapore who may enter Thailand through such checkpoints more than twice in a calendar year.
The same further pointed out that travelers entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme must possess adequate cash equivalent to $546 (20,000 Baht) per person or $1,092 (40,000 Baht) per family.
In addition, Thailand has recently been expanding its visa-exemption programme to several destinations to attract more foreign tourists. Last month, the cabinet approved increasing the number of countries eligible for visa-free entry from 57 to 93.