The cabinet has approved a mutual visa-free agreement with Timor-Leste, under which visitors would be allowed to stay in the country for 30 days upon entry.
According to Government House, the resolution reached on Tuesday responded a proposal from the government of Timor-Leste as it steps up preparations to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Both countries are expected to sign an agreement on the visa exemption scheme on Friday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the cabinet that the visa exemption is a condition for Timor-Leste to seek full membership in Asean.
Asean granted observer status to Timor-Leste in 2022 as part of a roadmap towards becoming the bloc’s 11th full member.
Under the roadmap, Timor-Leste must sign a total of 66 key agreements, including the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement and the Asean Comprehensive Investment Agreement.
Timor-Leste has a population of about 1 million and 91% of its people are Roman Catholic.
Thailand has been aggressively expanding its visa-exemption programme in order to attract more foreign tourists. Last month the cabinet approved an expansion in the number of countries eligible for visa-free entry from 57 to 93.