Thai passport ranks 99th with mobility score of 93

The Thai passport ranks 99th globally in the latest assessment by Passport Reports, with a mobility score of 93.

The score combines 40 destinations classified as visa-free, 48 offering visas on arrival or other facilitated procedures and five using electronic travel authorisation, or eTA. It does not mean Thai passport holders receive wholly visa-free entry to 93 destinations.

Together, the three categories cover 47% of the destinations assessed. A conventional visa or another form of advance approval remains necessary for 105 destinations, or 53%.

Thailand’s mobility score of 93 comprises 40 visa-free destinations, 48 offering facilitated entry and five using eTAs.

Only 40 destinations are wholly visa-free

Visa-free entry is available in 40 destinations, representing 20.2% of those covered by the report. The list includes Japan, China, Russia, Türkiye, Taiwan and several Southeast Asian neighbours.

Another 48 destinations, or 24.2%, are placed in a combined category covering visas on arrival and other facilitated procedures. Several also operate eVisa systems, but Passport Reports does not treat them as completely visa-free.

The five eTA destinations are Côte d’Ivoire, South Korea, Kenya, Seychelles and Sri Lanka. Côte d’Ivoire requires advance registration, while Seychelles uses a traveller-registration system.

Permitted stays and entry conditions vary. The report lists stays of up to 360 days in Georgia, 180 days in Peru and 120 days in Fiji and Vanuatu. It gives maximum stays of 150 days in Nepal and 120 days in Armenia.

For destinations using eTAs, the stated maximum is 90 days in Côte d’Ivoire, South Korea, Kenya and Seychelles, and 30 days in Sri Lanka.

The 93 destinations included in Thailand’s mobility score, divided into visa-free, facilitated-entry and eTA categories.

Asia offers wider access than Europe

Thailand ranks 21st among the 50 Asian countries assessed. Excluding Thailand itself, passport holders can reach 34 of the other 49 Asian destinations without obtaining a conventional visa before departure.

Of those, 22 are classified as visa-free, 10 offer facilitated entry and two use eTAs. The remaining 15 require a visa or advance approval.

Europe is considerably more restricted. Russia and Türkiye are the only two of the region’s 47 destinations classified as visa-free, while Ukraine is placed in the facilitated-entry category. The other 44 require advance approval.

None of the six Gulf states offers wholly visa-free entry under the report’s classifications. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman provide facilitated procedures, while the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait require advance approval.

Across the report’s wider Middle East grouping, Thai passport holders can reach six of 17 destinations without a conventional visa arranged before departure.

Access is broader in Central Asia, where four of five countries fall into easier-entry categories. The equivalent figures are 10 of 14 in Oceania, eight of 12 in South America, nine of 16 in the Caribbean and 30 of 54 in Africa.

Only nine of the 23 destinations in the report’s North American grouping offer easier entry. Europe has the lowest proportion, with three of 47 destinations accessible without a conventional visa obtained in advance.

Regional access under Passport Reports’ classifications. Some regional groupings overlap.

Thailand ranks fifth among ASEAN passports

Passport Reports places Thailand fifth among the 11 ASEAN countries.

The Thai passport ranks 17th among the 21 APEC economies, 51st among 132 G77 countries and 95th among 159 World Trade Organisation members.

It also stands 19th among 25 countries classified as parliamentary constitutional monarchies.

In a separate assessment of how easily foreign passport holders can enter Thailand, the country ranks 73rd among 199 countries. This welcoming ranking measures access to Thailand rather than the overseas mobility available to Thai passport holders.

Source: passportreports.com