The move was first introduced in December as part of an initiative to shore up tourist arrivals to Thailand, after the clampdown on zero-fee tours put a damper on the Chinese inbound market. It was originally scheduled to end this month. Under the measure, visa fees at Thai consulates and embassies are waived while the visa-on-arrival fee is halved to 1,000 baht (US$29).

This scheme is applicable for visitors from Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.