Thailand Immigration and Tourism

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• Bilateral Linkages
• Trade and Economic
• Education
• Immigration and Tourism
• NZAID's Relationship

Thailand Immigration and Tourism

Thailand is not a significant immigration source for New Zealand however, and numbers have been small (less than 1% of immigrants). A bilateral visa waiver agreement for tourist travel was concluded in 1987, but was suspended in December 2000. All Thai nationals travelling to New Zealand require visas; with the New Zealand Immigration Service maintaining an office in Bangkok to process visitor, student, work and residence visa applications. New Zealand visitors to Thailand are granted a 30-day permit on arrival.

Thailand is a significant source of tourists to New Zealand. New Zealand is seen as a clean, green, friendly and safe place in which independent travelling is easy. There were 20,349 visitors from Thailand in the year to December 2007. The number of Thai tourists to New Zealand has remained relatively steady over the last few years with a shift towards higher value independent tourists.

Around 90,000 New Zealanders (which includes New Zealand citizens arriving from all destinations) visit Thailand every year. Staying an average of about 10 days, these tourists are valuable contributors to the Thai tourism trade.

Thai International Airways (TG) has recently reduced the frequency of its direct flights between Bangkok and Auckland from seven to four per week. Air New Zealand and Thai Airways are members of the Star Alliance.