BANGKOK — Thai Cabinet approves draft ministerial regulation on visa exemption for holders of EU official passports.
The Cabinet meeting on June 4, 2024, approved a draft ministerial regulation on the criteria, methods, and conditions for inspection, exemption, and change of type of entry stamp (No. ..) B.E. …. as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The Deputy Government Spokesperson said that on March 7, 2023, the Cabinet approved an agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the European Union on the recognition of laissez-passer, i.e. the recognition of travel documents issued by the European Union (EU) as full travel documents for EU officials traveling to Thailand.
Laissez-passer holders entering Thailand must comply with the laws and regulations in force in Thailand. Following the Cabinet decision, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior (MOI) have been instructed to review and amend the relevant laws, rules and regulations to bring them in line with the agreement as soon as possible.
On June 1, 2023, the Thai government and the EU signed the agreement. The draft agreement contains the substance of the recognition of Laissez-Passer.
Therefore, in order to comply with the Cabinet Decision of March 7, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior have jointly prepared a Ministerial Order on the Criteria, Methods and Conditions for Inspection, Exemption and Change of Type of Entry Stamp (No. …) B.E. … which essentially amends the Ministerial Order by adding the words “or EU passport” and “or EU agency” to bring it into line with the Agreement.
For example, Article 3(2) states: “Holders of diplomatic passports or United Nations passports equivalent to diplomatic passports or EU passports shall submit an application for an entry stamp to a Thai embassy or consulate, together with an application for an entry stamp for that person from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy or consulate of the country where the diplomatic passport was issued, or the United Nations organization or agency, or the EU agency.”
EU passport holders can apply for entry stamps according to their function, duties and the purpose of their stay in Thailand, which are divided into three categories: diplomatic, official and courtesy. This also applies to family members with EU passports.
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