The cabinet on Thursday approved the permanent waiving of visas for tourists from Kazakhstan, a government spokesperson said.
Kazakhstan is one of the fastest-growing markets for the Thai tourism industry, which is a key driver of the country’s growth.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 172,000 Kazakhs entered Thailand last year, up from 60,000 the year before. Most Kazakh travellers in Thailand are families and couples.
They stayed on average for 14 days, mostly in beach resorts, spending about 75,000 baht per person, the TAT said. It has forecast that the country will welcome more than 220,000 Kazakh tourists this year.
The Kazakh carrier Air Astana has been increasing flights to Thailand in response to higher travel demand.
The government last September approved visa exemptions for Kazakh passport holders as part of a pilot project, and in February it extended the policy until Aug 31.
Thai passport holders have benefited from a visa exemption since 2019, allowing them to remain in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days.
A permanent visa waiver for visitors from China took effect on March 1, with China doing the same for Thai visitors under a bilateral agreement.