[ad_1]
BANGKOK: Thailand said on Monday (September 28) that it will extend a grace period for visa renewal for foreigners stranded in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of October, as travel restrictions remain in effect. and new infections are increasing globally.
The extension will allow foreigners to stay in Thailand until October 31, a spokesman for the government’s coronavirus task force, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, told Reuters.
The matter is subject to cabinet approval on Tuesday.
Thailand halted commercial flights in April and banned foreign visitors in an effort to keep COVID-19 at bay, with repatriation flights the only way out of the country.
In July, authorities granted automatic visa extensions until September 26 for all foreigners.
READ: Thailand will offer a grace period for foreigners visa extensions
After October, a new immigration regulation will allow foreigners to request 60-day extensions to stay in the country if they are unable to leave due to limited flights or other problems, Pornchai Kuntee, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Office, told Reuters.
Previously, extensions required documentation from their respective embassies and were limited to 30 days.
Authorities also extended an emergency decree on Monday until the end of October.
Thailand has registered 3,545 COVID-19 cases, with 59 deaths.
READ: With limited travel, airline cafes take off in Thailand
The government this month approved visas of up to 270 days for long-stay tourists and is preparing to reopen to some foreign visitors starting next month, although the measure could be delayed.
The Thailand Tourism Authority expects the number of foreign tourists to fall to 6.7 million this year from 39.8 million in 2019 before recovering to 20.5 million next year.
This compares with the central bank’s estimate of 9 million tourists in 2021.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
