Thailand exempts tourist visa fees for Qatari nationals and residents

Qatari nationals and residents desirous of spending their summer vacation in Thailand will be exempted from tourist visa fees effective from 5th March until June 4, as announced by the Thai Embassy. Eligible foreigners who apply for visa on arrival at designated checkpoints will also get the exemption.

Suvat Chiparant, Thai Ambassador to Qatar, said the exemption, available only on the tourist visa, is being offered by Thai embassies and consulates worldwide. He also said that Thailand is one of the favorite destinations of tourists from Qatar, especially during the summer. Some 15,000 of them visited the country last year, marking a 20 percent increase in numbers from the previous year.

Due to an increase in the number of tourists to Thailand from Qatar, the airlines were forced to operate two flights daily, increasing to three daily flights during summer.

Apart from shopping and vacationing on world-class beaches, visitors from Qatar also go to the Thai capital Bangkok to avail of cheaper medical treatment offered by state-of-the-art clinics and hospitals and specialist physicians.

“Most of the tourists who visited Thailand for medication stayed there for more than a month, since they have no worries because facilities and commodities are cheap,” Chiparant said.