Thailand is scrapping its 60-day visa exemption for tourists, which will affect Australian travellers.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday, September 15, a new 30-day visa exemption will take its place.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s not great news for backpackers planning to spend six to eight weeks travelling around the country, Flight Centre leisure CEO James Kavanagh said most Aussies probably won\u2019t be affected.<\/p>\n
Obsessed with travel? Download our new app <\/a>and never miss a headline <\/p>\n \u201cOn Tuesday, the Thai Government is reducing its visa-free stay period for around 90 countries from 60 days to 30 days, and Australia is included in this,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cThe average length of stay in Thailand for our customers is approximately 14 days, so most Aussies will find they won\u2019t have to obtain a visa for their holiday to Thailand. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re unsure, the good news is that if you\u2019re booking with a travel agent, they will be able to help you sort out all the documentation you need for your holiday overseas so you can travel confidently.\u201d<\/p>\n The Tourism Authority of Thailand published details<\/a> about the change on September 1.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the new framework, holders of passports or travel documents from 60 countries and territories will be eligible for visa exemption for tourism, with a permitted stay of up to 30 days,\u201d it wrote, with Australia listed number one on the extensive list.<\/p>\n \u201cFor entry through land-border immigration checkpoints, travellers using the 30-day visa exemption may generally enter Thailand under this exemption no more than twice per calendar year.\u201d<\/p>\n CLICK HERE<\/a> to vote for your favourite travel business and you could win one of 8 incredible travel prizes, worth over $45,000 in total! <\/p>\n The Australian government\u2019s travel advice website Smartraveller<\/a> warns Aussies their passport must be valid for more than six months and a free Thailand Digital Arrival Card<\/a> (TDAC) must be completed online within three days before arriving in Thailand. <\/p>\n \u201cBeware of fake websites charging you a fee for the TDAC,\u201d the agency warns.<\/p>\n As for arrival in the country, Smartraveller advises: \u201cBe ready to show proof of your accommodation in Thailand, enough funds for your stay and your onward or return flight ticket. You may be refused entry if you can\u2019t show these documents.\u201d<\/p>\n It also notes if you overstay your visa in Thailand, you\u2019ll need to pay a fine before you can leave, but you can also be arrested, prosecuted, jailed, deported, and banned from re-entering the country.<\/p>\n Thailand is one of Australian travellers\u2019 top overseas destinations.<\/p>\n It was the fifth most popular country in July, with 64,010 Aussies returning from trips, according to the latest travel data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Friday.<\/p>\n That is an increase of 5.5 per cent on the same month last year.<\/p>\n In the 12 months to July, 627,630 Aussies travelled to Thailand \u2013 a slight drop (-2.8 per cent) on the 645,770 who visited the 12 months prior.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Thailand is scrapping its 60-day visa exemption for tourists, which will affect Australian travellers. 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