Thailand tightens visa rules for tourists, citing crime by foreigners

Key points

• Thailand is drastically cutting the length of visa-free stays for tourists from more than 90 countries in an effort to curb crime involving foreign nationals, officials said on Tuesday.
• Tourism is a crucial source of jobs in Thailand, and the country has struggled to return to the number of foreign arrivals recorded before the Covid pandemic.
• However, concerns over visitors breaking the law have led to calls for tougher immigration rules Tourists provided “benefits, such as boosting the economy, but the current scheme has allowed some people to exploit it”, government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek told reporters on Tuesday.
• Frequent incidents involving tourists committing crimes ranging from shoplifting to indecent exposure have drawn public attention online, while there is also particular concern about foreigners overstaying and illegally operating businesses in tourism hotspots, without the proper permits.
• Thai authorities have also cited concerns over transnational criminal groups abusing immigration laws.