Why Thailand is making it easier for travelers to stay longer

Perhaps you want to escape the winter months at home, opting to take care of business on a laptop from the comfort of your Phuket villa rental while overlooking the Andaman Sea. Or maybe you’re ready to step into the ring and embark on a new career as a Muay Thai fighter.

Either way, Thailand has you covered.

The popular Southeast Asian destination recently introduced a new five-year visa aimed at remote workers and other travelers who want to stay in the kingdom for long periods.

According to a statement issued by the Thai Prime Minister’s Office, the Thailand Destination Visa (DTV) will allow eligible travelers to stay for up to 180 days per visit, with multiple entries, within five years. (This means they will need to leave the country when their 180 days are up and the time will reset when they re-enter.)

The government statement states that the visa is open to several categories of remote workers, including digital nomads and freelancers. It is also aimed at those who intend to visit to participate in activities such as Muay Thai training or Thai cooking classes, or for prolonged medical treatments.

To apply, travelers need to provide proof that they have a minimum of 500,000 baht (about US$13,800) in funds, as well as documents proving the purpose of the visit, such as a letter from a medical center or proof of employment status abroad. from the country. Thailand.

The visa, which costs 10,000 bahtdoes not allow candidates to seek employment in Thailand.

‘They need to slow down’

The Thai government has also expanded the list of countries and territories permitted visa-free access for tourism and short-term business from 57 to 93, while also extending the period of stay from 30 to 60 days.

Meanwhile, the number of countries/territories whose citizens are entitled to a visa on arrival has also increased from 19 to 31.

According to government data, Thailand received 17.5 million foreign tourists in the first half of this year, an increase of 35% compared to the same period last year.

But experts say the new visa measures are not simply aimed at attracting more visitors.

“If we look at what Thailand has done, the initiatives and campaigns it has implemented over the last two years to increase visitor arrivals, it has been quite successful,” says Gary Bowerman, founder of Check-in Asiaa research and marketing company focused on tourism.

“So it very much leads Southeast Asia in terms of visitor arrivals. But the problem – and this is a big problem – is that although the numbers are there, the average spend per visitor is relatively low.”

Bowerman adds that pressure on resources is also increasing.

“The incremental value of having more and more people is not being felt, so they need to find ways to really increase the length of stay, increase the spend per person,” he says, noting that the majority of international arrivals to Thailand are travelers regions that they visit for short periods.

“There are a lot of people entering, moving around and leaving quickly. This puts increasing pressure on infrastructure, airports, transport networks… They need to slow down.”

This is why, he says, they are also trying to attract long-stay visitors, such as digital nomads – “simply because it puts less pressure on entry points and transport points”.

Travelers combining work and leisure

According to a statement from the PM’s office, the new measures aim to promote tourism and boost the economy and have been in force since July 15th.

Thailand is certainly not alone in its desire to attract longer-term travelers. Olivier Ponti, director of intelligence and marketing at forwarding keys, a travel data company, says that more people than ever are looking for opportunities for extended vacations – and countries are paying attention.

“A global trend we have observed throughout the post-Covid-19 period is that travelers are staying longer in destinations,” he says. “Arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region remain -23% compared to 2019, but longer stays (two weeks or more) are just -8% below pre-pandemic levels.”

Many destinations have already launched new visas to accommodate this increase in remote work, he says, with flexible workplace policies that now allow people to combine work and leisure more easily.

“Particularly, visas that allow multiple entries have longer validity periods and those that allow family members to accompany the visa holder on the trip are having success in attracting long-stay tourists,” says Ponti.

Other factors also come into play in terms of convenience, he says, such as a destination’s quality of life, cost of living, national and local sustainability practices, and tax benefits, to name a few.

As for Thailand, Ponti says the new long-stay visa will likely be adopted by long-distance travelers “who tend to stay much longer on average compared to regional travelers in Asia-Pacific.”

“Currently, the proportion of tickets with long stays (over 14 nights) remains around 25%, medium stays (6-13 nights) represent 45%,” says Ponti, referring to figures based on booking data of flights.

“These measures will likely increase Thailand’s appeal to long-term visitors, potentially increasing these proportions over time.”

For more news and newsletters from CNN, create an account at CNN.com