Foreign Minister Panpree Bahiddha-Nukara will travel to Tokyo in the hope of persuading the Japanese government to maintain its visa-free policy for Thailand amid a jump in the number of overstaying Thai visitors.
Mr Panpree did not specify a date but said on Thursday that the visit would take place soon, according to several media outlets.
He admitted he was concerned amid speculation that Tokyo might reinstate visa requirements for Thai nationals, more of whom are reported to be overstaying after they enter the country.
But Mr Panpree, who is also the deputy prime minister, expressed confidence that the issue could be addressed positively, as Thai travellers who stay beyond the 15-day limit without a visa have not created serious problems or committed crimes.
“If (I have an opportunity) to explain to Japan, there is a chance for visa-free entry for Thais to continue,” he was quoted as saying by Thai News Agency.
The number of Thais overstaying in Japan rose from 8,688 in 2021 to 9,459 last year, compared with only 3,500 in 2013 when the visa-free policy was first introduced, according to the Consular Affairs Department.
Japan is among the top destinations for Thai vacationers.
Almost 2.78 million foreign tourists visited Japan in February, 101,400 of them from Thailand, data from Japan Tourism Statistics shows. Thais led all visitors from Southeast Asia entering Japan. They accounted for 3.6% of total foreign arrivals, with only South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong ahead of the kingdom.