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Thai tourists no longer need visas to enter Taiwan from Aug 1

Thai tourists no longer need visas to enter Taiwan from Aug 1

Thai tourists allowed to Taiwan without a visa

Effective from August 1, Thai tourists will no longer need a visa to enter Taiwan, an announcement in Chinese and Thai languages put up on Thursday in the hall of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand says.

The announcement states, “To encourage more citizens of Thailand to travel to Taiwan for tourism and promote more exchange between people of Taiwan and Thailand, the Republic of China government has decided to include Thailand in the Visa Waiver Program on a one-year trial basis, beginning from August 1, 2016 and running until July 31, 2017. During the trial period, Thai passengers traveling to Taiwan for stays of 30 days or less will not need a visa.”

People lining up in the hall of the office to apply for a visa to Taiwan, a usual scene in the past, were no longer seen, and the chairs in the waiting area were empty as many Thai people had learnt the visa waiver news from web media and other channels. Only a couple of business visa applicants were seen at each service window.

EVA Airways said that as August is traditionally a high season for tourism, and beginning from August 6, EVA Air will launch a fare discount program for Thai office workers to fly to Taiwan after work, the efficacy of the visa waiver program might not be felt until after the summer peak season, when the airlines will adjust if needed.

Low budget airlines flying between Thailand and Taiwan, which already have high passenger loading rates, said they will increase flights accordingly if booking goes well in the future.