BANGKOK: Thai and Kazakhstan passport holders will soon enjoy 30-day visa-free holidays, now that both countries have signed a mutual visa waiver deal.
Under the pact, people holding passports with at least six-month validity can enter and stay in each other’s country for up to 30 days per visit, or no more than 90 days in total over 180 days.
The deal was signed by Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara and his Kazakhstani counterpart Murat Nurtleu (pic) in Bangkok on Tuesday (April 23). Nurtleu is in Thailand on an official four-day visit until Wednesday.
The visa waiver will go into effect in 30 days after both sides declare in writing that all legal processes under the policy have been completed.
Parnpree said the deal would further help promote ties between the two nations, resulting in improved economic, political, academic and cultural cooperation. The waiver will also boost the potential and revenue from the tourism industry in both countries, he added.
As a move to boost tourism, Thailand waived visa requirements for Kazakhstan passport holders from September 25 last year. This deal was to run until Feb 29 this year but was extended to Aug 31.
Kazakhstan is Thailand’s largest trade partner in Central Asia, with a mutual trade volume worth US$172 million (6.3 billion baht) recorded in 2023, up 26% year on year. Thailand’s exports to Kazakhstan last year were worth $76 million or 2.8 billion baht, while imports came in at $96 million or 3.5 billion baht.
In 2023, over 170,000 Kazakhstani tourists entered Thailand, triple the previous year’s 59,000 arrivals. - The Nation/ANN
