Maldives and Thailand have formalised a visa waiver arrangement between the two countries.
The Government of Thailand has decided to exempt visa for Maldivian passport holders travelling to Thailand for tourism purposes, effective from April 14, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign ministry said Maldivian tourists travelling to Thailand can stay in the country for up to 30 days without visa. The final discussions regarding the agreement took place during the side-line meeting held by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and the Thai delegation attending the Second High Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While Thailand is a frequent destination for Maldivians travelling for several purposes such as leisure and business, Maldivians are currently charged for tourist visas which are issued upon arrival to Thailand.
This is the third visa waiver agreement welcomed by Maldives since the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office. The first visa waiver agreement was made with UAE which took effect on January 1, which was followed by visa concessions and medical visa waiver arrangement with India which took effect on March 11.
It is a top priority of the administration to secure visa agreements with countries Maldivians frequently travel to.