Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said that a visa waiver for Chinese and Indian tourists might be right for 15-30 days, but not up to a year as the Tourism and Sports Ministry proposed.
Gen Prawit said before the cabinet meeting at Government House on Tuesday that a long visa waiver might not be possible because the government would have to consider the security aspect of the proposal.
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said the cabinet would consider the proposal's security and economic impacts.
Tourists from China and India were already entitled to visa-on-arrival, he said.
In economic ministers' meeting last week the Tourism and Sports Ministry, under the supervision of the Bhumjaithai Party, proposed the visa waiver as an economic stimulus measure but the Foreign Ministry opposed it because of security concerns.
Under the proposal, Chinese and Indian visitors would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 30 days. The Tourism and Sports Ministry planned the measure to be implemented for one year from Nov 1 to Oct 31 next year.