Due to the recent release of the Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand dated 4 March B.E. 2562 (2019) regarding the thirty-day (30) visa exemption for nationals of fifty-six (56) countries and territories to visit Thailand for tourism purposes and the Visa on Arrival (VoA) arrangement for nationals of eighteen (18) countries, the Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow wishes to inform the public of the following:

1. Visa on Arrival arrangement for citizens of the Russian Federation has been granted since 2002 by the Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand dated 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002). It is a unilateral arrangement of the Thai Government for nationals of the Russian Federation;

2. The Russian Federation has never been removed from the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to apply for a visa on arrival. Therefore, Russia still exists in the recently-issued Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Interior;

3. The Agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Terms of Visa Exemption for Mutual Visits of Nationals of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Russian Federation was signed on 13 December 2005. This bilateral Agreement took effect on 24 March 2007 and has been effective ever since;

4. Holders of Russian passports shall be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of Thailand and stay up to thirty (30) days without a visa, in accordance with terms of the bilateral Agreement.

Announcement No. 1/2562