The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has partnered with three key government agencies – the Department of Consular Affairs, Airports of Thailand (AOT), and Immigration Division 2 – to simplify entry procedures for international business events travellers under its Thailand MICE One Stop Service initiative.
This collaboration, announced at a recent press conference, aims to simplify entry procedures for business events visitors and organisers. Travellers attending business events can now enjoy a longer stay with a 60-day visa, with the option to extend for an additional 30 days. This provides greater flexibility for attendees to explore Thailand beyond their event participation.
Event organisers, on the other hand, will benefit from a 90-day visa that can be extended for up to a year, allowing them ample time to plan and execute successful events.
Thailand has also expanded visa-free entry to citizens of 93 countries, a significant increase from the previous 57. This broader range of nationalities can now enjoy a more extended stay of 60 days, up from 30. Additionally, the Visa on Arrival programme for stays of 15 days has been widened to include 31 countries, up from 19.
In addition, a global rollout of e-visa services is underway, with plans to make it accessible at all 94 Thai embassies and consulates worldwide by the end of the year.
Improvements are also underway at Thai airports, where an additional 330 immigration officers will be deployed at checkpoints to handle peak periods, ensuring smoother processing and shorter wait times. New automatic passport control systems will further expedite the process, doubling the number of people processed per minute. Advanced technologies such as the Thailand Immigration System and Advance Passenger Processing will be implemented to enhance passenger identification and security checks.
Special considerations are being also made for business events groups. AOT and Immigration will collaborate with TCEB to create separate lanes for business events groups at airports on a case-by-case basis. This will allow for faster entry and minimise wait times for large groups arriving together.
Dedicated MICE Lanes are already operational at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in Bangkok, and this convenience will be extended to other major airports like Phuket and Chiang Mai next year. Udon Thani airport is also slated to receive a MICE Lane by 2026 in preparation for the upcoming International Horticultural Expo.
