Thai passport ranks 63rd most powerful with 82 visa-free destinations
With Thai citizens being allowed to travel to as many as 82 territories without requiring a visa, the Thai passport is ranked 63rd most powerful in the world in 2024, according to an index.
The Henley Passport Index shows that the kingdom has made progress compared to the past two years when Thailand was in 70th place in 2022 and 64th in 2023.
The index is based on data from the International Air Transport Association and the research team of a London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners company.
Thailand’s 82 visa-free territories include Japan, South Korea, Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Argentina, and Brazil, according to the data.
Six countries topped the chart. They are France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Singapore.
Citizens of these countries can travel to 194 lands without visa requirements. Also, the two Asian countries in the list have remained at the top of the index for five consecutive years.
The second-most powerful passports are those of South Korea, Finland and Sweden, which have 193 visa-free destinations.
The top five countries with the least visa-free lands are Afghanistan (28 territories), Syria (29), Iraq (31), Pakistan (34), and Yemen (35).
In ASEAN, Thailand’s passport ranks fourth most powerful, behind Singapore, Malaysia 12th place (182 visa-free destinations), and Brunei 20th (168 destinations).
The median level of the number of visa-free destinations this year is 111 countries, nearly double the number in 2006 when the figure stood at 58 countries.
As a part of the recent government's efforts to boost the economy, Thailand and China have decided to waive visa requirements for their citizens permanently from March 1, 2024.
