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Thai Passport Ranks Fifth in ASEAN as Mobility Score Reaches 93
The Thai passport has climbed to fifth place among ASEAN nations, achieving a global mobility score of 93. Thai citizens can now access 47.0% of worldwide destinations visa-free, via visa-on-arrival, or simplified entry arrangements.
BANGKOK – The Thai passport has been ranked fifth among 11 ASEAN countries in the September Passport Reports dataset, boasting a Mobility Score of 93. This score indicates that Thai citizens can access 47.0% of destinations worldwide through visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival, or other simplified-entry arrangements, and eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). Passport Reports, an organization that prepares and publishes passport reports for 199 countries in 34 languages, places the Thailand Passport Ranking at 99th globally and 21st among 50 Asian countries. The 93-point Mobility Score is comprised of 40 visa-free destinations, 48 destinations in the on-arrival or simplified-entry category, and 5 eTA destinations. In contrast, 105 destinations require a visa. The report records visa-free access at 20.2%, on-arrival or simplified access at 24.2%, and eTA access at 2.5%. Within Asia, Thai passport holders have access to 69.4% of destinations covered in the report: 22 are visa-free, 10 fall under visa on arrival or other simplified-entry arrangements, 2 use eTA, and 15 require a visa. The report also records total access of 80.0% in Central Asia, 71.4% in Oceania, 66.7% in South America, 56.3% in the Caribbean, 55.6% in Africa, 50.0% in the Gulf countries, 39.1% in North America, 35.3% in the Middle East, and 6.4% in Europe. Specific destination details include visa-free stays of 30 days in China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, 15 days in Japan, 360 days in Georgia, and 180 days in Peru. Several destinations pair access with specific procedures, such as Malaysia and Singapore listing arrival cards, the Dominican Republic listing an e-ticket, Suriname a tourist card, Cabo Verde the EASE system, Papua New Guinea an eVisitor arrangement, Côte d’Ivoire pre-registration, and Seychelles tourist registration. In other comparison groups, Thailand ranks 94th among 159 WTO members, 17th among 21 APEC economies, and 50th among 132 G77 countries. It is also ranked 19th among 25 countries classified in the report as parliamentary constitutional monarchies. Thailand is 70th among 199 countries in the report’s Welcoming Ranking, which concerns entry conditions faced by foreign passport holders entering Thailand rather than the outbound access available to Thai passport holders. On the inbound side, the report’s visa requirements for entering Thailand form the basis for its reciprocity comparison. The data lists 59 countries whose passport holders can enter Thailand visa-free, with electronic authorization or on arrival, while Thai passport holders face a visa requirement in the opposite direction. A second list contains 40 countries whose passport holders require a visa to enter Thailand while Thai travelers receive visa-free, electronic-authorization or on-arrival access in the reverse direction. The current report therefore places Thailand fifth in ASEAN, 21st in Asia, and 99th globally, alongside a Mobility Score of 93, worldwide access of 47.0%, and a Welcoming Ranking of 70th among 199 countries. Passport Reports ranks passports first by Mobility Score. The Mobility Score is the total number of destinations accessible visa-free, through visa on arrival or other arrangements in the same simplified-entry category, and via eTA. If Mobility Scores are equal, passports are compared in this order: Visa-Free, then eTA, then On Arrival or the related simplified-entry category. If all four values are identical, the passports share the same rank.
Original source
Chiang Rai Times