Thais may not need visa for Japan
Thai nationals will most likely not need a tourist visa for Japan from as early as next month as part of Tokyo's move to attract more travellers from Southeast Asia, an NHK news report said yesterday.
Malaysian citizens will possibly also benefit from this visa-free policy, while Filipinos and people from Vietnam will be able to obtain multiple-entry visas for the first time. Indonesians will also see their visa period extended from the current 15 days, the report said. Reports have also been circulating on social media about these visa changes.
An official from the Japanese embassy in Bangkok told The Nation that the process was underway and that this policy should be in effect by July or August.
Meanwhile, NHK quoted Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as saying that his government was aiming to double its target of attracting 10 million visitors per year.
According to online statistics, a total of 8.37 million foreigners visited Japan last year, with Thailand and Malaysia accounting for 390,000 of them.
