Tourists on the run increase, Thailand worries Japan will abandon visa-free policy

The Thai Consular Department has raised concerns about the issue, revealing that the number of Thais overstaying in Japan has increased from 8,688 in 2021 to 11,472 in 2023.

Reports suggest that the Japanese government has called on Thailand to quickly address the issue, warning that the visa-free policy could be at risk by 2025 if not addressed.

However, Chotechuang Soorangura, vice president of the Thai Travel Association, reassured Thais that the number of overstayers, when compared to the nearly 1 million Thais expected to travel abroad in 2023, is relatively small, accounting for less than 2%.

Thai tourists fleeing Japan raise concerns about visa-free policy

Chotechuang added that if Japan decides to reimpose visa requirements, it will likely only be done after Expo 2025, which Osaka will host from April to October. That possibility would be in line with Tokyo's commitment to accommodating the influx of tourists attending the six-month event.

He reassured Thai tourists there was no need to worry about stricter immigration screening procedures at Japanese airports as the country continues to rely heavily on tourism for economic growth.

However, Chotechuang also warned that due to the ongoing overtourism situation in Japan, many tourist attractions may start to impose taxes or even bans to manage the number of visitors. This follows the implementation of a $13 fee and daily visitor quota at Mount Fuji as well as a proposed new tax on foreign tourists in Osaka. Notably, Kyoto's famous Gion district will ban foreign tourists from private streets from April due to local residents' dissatisfaction with the sudden increase in tourist numbers, the Bangkok Post reported.

Japan has been offering visa-free travel to Thai tourists since July 2013 to boost tourism after the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. The plan was temporarily suspended during the pandemic but was reinstated in October 2022.

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