Summary of Weekly Press Briefing by

Director-General of Department of Information/Spokesperson of MFA

Thursday 30 May 2024 at 14.00 hrs.

Press Conference Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and MFA FB Live

1. Upcoming missions abroad:

• Official Visit to Lao PDR Today (30 May 2024), The Minister of Foreign Affairs is on his first official visit abroad to Lao PDR, at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith. The Minister will pay a courtesy call on the Prime Miniser of Lao PDR. He will then hold a bilateral meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR to follow up on the outcomes of Prime Miniser’s official visit in October 2023, including on cross-border trade and transportation, infrastructure connectivity, tourism and the cross-border haze issue. The Minister will also meet with Thai businesses to learn about their operations, and challenges.
• IPEF Ministerial Meeting and ‘IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum’ in Singapore On 5-6 June 2024, the Minister will attend these meetings at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong of Singapore. The IPEF Ministerial Meeting will discuss driving forward cooperation under the Pillars, especially Supply Chains, Clean Economy and Fair Economy, as well as progress on tangible projects. The Clean Economy Investor Forum aims to promote funding for Sustainable Infrastructure and Climate Technology projects. A business matching opportunity will also take place during that time. This visit will be an opportunity to present Thailand’s vision on the future economy and targeted priorities, and enhance our competitiveness in clean and environmentally-friendly industries.
• ASEAN-GCC Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia On 27-29 May 2024, the Minister appointed Mr. Russ Jalichandra as the Special Envoy to attend the ASEAN-GCC Summit. He joined in the ministerial-level discussions and had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, where the strong and enduring natures of the Thai-Saudi and ASEAN-GCC economic partnerships were emphasized.

2. Development of Thailand’s Visa System

• On 28 May 2024, the Cabinet approved a number of visa and travel facilitation measures proposed by the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to facilitate economic development and promote tourism.
• Five Short-term Measures expected to take effect in late June or early July 2024 includes:
  • Extending visa exemption for tourists and short-term business visitors for a period of up to 60 days (from the period of 30 days) for passport holders from 93 countries/regions;
  • Increasing the number of countries/regions whose passport holders qualify for Visa On Arrival (VOA) from 19 to 31;
  • Introducing the new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) for long-term travel, digital nomads, and participants in certain cultural activities with a period of stay up to 180 days per visit, on a multiple-entry basis within 5 years;
  • Measures to facilitate international students and those nearing graduation;
  • Establishment of a ‘Visa Policy Committee’ to develop Thailand’s entry processes and improve efficiency of immigration procedures.
• Three Medium-term Measures included:
  • Grouping and streamlining non-immigrant visa types;
  • Lowering health insurance requirements and expanding the list of countries eligible for long-term non-immigrant visa applications;
  • Implementation of the e-Visa system at all Embassies and Consulates by December 2024.
• One Long-term Measure: Introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system to be implemented in line with the e-Visa system.

Q & A Session: Thailand’s Application for BRICS Membership

• On 28 May 2024, the Cabinet approved the draft Letter of Intent for Thailand to seek BRICS membership.
• The membership of BRICS will benefit all country groups, where Thailand can:
• Play a role as coordinator between BRICS members and other countries;
• Strengthen BRICS through geographical representation and diverse strategic perspectives;
• Join the strong global South grouping to jointly determine BRICS geopolitical stance.
• Thailand has engaged continuously with BRICS. The elevation of engagement through membership application is consistent with existing policies.

Watch the full session at: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/bAoGnJzrgbPQUbrA/?mibextid=lpLi9V