Thailand grants “Special Tourist Visa” to tourists and crews of foreign yachts

Bangkok, 02 November, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that Thailand is now reopen to tourists and crews of foreign yachts, under the recently launched Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme.

Initially being made available to long-stay visitors to Thailand of all types – from tourists to business travellers, investors and others, under the conditions that they comply with Thailand’s strict public health rules, the STV is now being extended to tourists and crews of foreign yachts.

The new permission was announced on 30 October, 2020, in the Royal Thai Government Gazette, the public journal and record where new or revised laws and regulations are published.

Applications from tourists and crews of foreign yachts can be made within 30 days after the announcement, and is available through until 30 September, 2021.

The STV allows for a 90-day stay in the Kingdom, which can be extended twice for a further 90 days each time. The STV costs 2,000 Baht and each extension is an additional 2,000 Baht.

The visa is currently only available for tourists and crews of foreign yachts from a low-risk country according to the Ministry of Public Health. However, foreign tourists and yacht crew members who arrived in Thai waters prior to the country’s declaration of a state of emergency in March are also eligible to apply for the STV.

Tourists and crew members must comply with the necessary COVID-19 control and preventive measures. They will be required to quarantine aboard their vessel for 14 days and be tested three times for COVID-19 before they can travel in Thailand.

They must also have health insurance covering COVID-19 treatment, with a minimum coverage of US$ 100,000 for the duration of their stay in Thailand, plus a travel insurance with 40,000 Baht insurance coverage for out-patient medical services and 400,000 Baht insurance coverage for in-patient medical services.

Interested applicants are recommended to enquire at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their home country for more details.