The Thai Government has decided to withdraw the visa-free entry facility granted to Sri Lankan passport holders with effect from September 15.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said new regulations governing its revised visa-exemption and Visa on Arrival schemes were published in the Royal Gazette on August 31 and would take effect on September 15.
The amendments followed a review of Thailand’s visa policy approved by the Cabinet in May.
Accordingly, the existing 60-day visa-exemption scheme will be discontinued, while the list of countries eligible for short-term visa-free entry will also be revised.
The Thai Foreign Ministry said the review considered national security, tourism and economic interests, reciprocity, and the availability of Thailand’s electronic visa system.
Sri Lankan passport holders travelling to Thailand from September 15 will therefore be required to obtain an appropriate visa before arrival.
Applications must be submitted through Thailand’s official e-Visa platform. The Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo will not accept applications in person, and both applications and payments must be completed online.
The embassy says tourist visa applications from Sri Lankan passport holders generally take three to seven working days to process once all required documents have been properly submitted. Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo
Sri Lankan travellers who enter Thailand under the existing visa-exemption scheme before September 15 will, however, be permitted to remain until the end of the period already granted to them.
