Thailand has reopened its borders, and if you’ve been planning on an epic Southeast Asian adventure, we’ve got good news. Travellers from a whole bunch of countries can now visit Thailand for a whopping 45 days without the need for an advance visa.
Previously, travellers from more than 50 countries (including the UK, USA, Australia and Canada) were eligible for 30-day visas on arrival in Thailand. Since October 1, however, that visa has been extended to 45 days, drastically increasing the amount of the time you can spend exploring the country.
The idea behind the plan is to kickstart Thailand’s tourist industry. Having exceeded one million monthly arrivals in July for the first time in two-and-a-half years, the Thai government wants to attract 10 million more travellers by the end of 2022.
In order to do that, it’s giving a load of us even more time to spend trekking through Thailand’s sprawling and thrilling cities, getting lost in its spectacular cultural sites or chilling out on the country’s vast sandy beaches. Pretty sweet, eh?
The main downside is that the visa extension is only temporary. Having started on October 1, 2022, it’ll end on March 31, 2023. So if you’re planning that trip, make sure you get it booked in soon.
Check out a full list of the countries included in in the 45-day visa scheme on the official Thai embassy website here.
Get planning! Here’s here to go, eat, sleep and drink in Thailand.
Plus: travel to Japan could soon become just a little bit easier.