The Thai passport is currently ranked 63rd place on the Guide Passport Index. It provides visa-free access to 80 countries. This grants it an overall medium mobility score. Thai passport holders have visa-free access and visas on arrival to countries such as Singapore, Russia, Brazil, Kenya and Turkey. Thai citizens require a visa to enter about 149 destinations. This high visa requirement results in a low mobility score and entails major trip preparations before traveling. Some countries where a visa is required are China, the United States and entire European Union.
The Thailand passport ranking relative to other global passports is calculated by adding up the number of countries that allow Thailand passport holders to enter without a visa (i.e. visa-free countries) and those that allow Thailand passport holders to enter by obtaining a visa on arrival (i.e. visa-on-arrival countries) or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). There are currently a total of 39 Thailand passport visa-free countries, 38 Thailand visa-on-arrival countries, and 3 eTA destinations.
Altogether, Thailand passport holders can enter a total of 80 destinations—either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA. As a result, the Thailand passport ranks 63 in the world.
Separate from these Thailand visa-free countries and visa-on-arrival countries, there are 149 additional destinations which Thailand passport holders either need a physical visa to enter or an eVisa (i.e. visa required countries).
The Kingdom of Thailand is located in the Indochinese Peninsula and consists of 76 provinces. The most important provinces are Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ubon Ratchathani. The country is situated in Southeastern Asia and borders Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. It has an overall surface area of 513,120 square kilometers. The nation’s terrain consists of a central plain, the Korat Plateau and high mountains. Thailand is generally humid and hot. Its climate is tropical with two monsoon seasons.
The overall population is over 71.6 million people. The capital of the country is Bangkok, which is also the most populous city with more than 10.5 million inhabitants. Other important cities are Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Nonthaburi City and Pak Kret City. The country’s largest international airport is Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) with over 65 million annual passengers. This makes it the 19th busiest airport in the world. The airport provides access to destinations all around the world and is home to national carrier Thai Airways.
Thailand is influenced by the Theravada Buddhism, Indian, Chinese and Southeast Asian traditions. The highest percentage religion is Buddhism. The official language is Thai. The Thai legal system is the civil law with common law influences. The government form is a constitutional monarchy represented by the chief of state is King Wachiralongkon. The head of government is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha.
The official currency is the Thai bhat (THB), which has a current exchange rate of THB 34.66 per USD. The country has an open economy, generating a GDP of approximately $1.3 trillion. This makes it the 2nd largest economy in Southeast Asia. Its citizens have a per capita income of $20,474. The GDP is mostly made up of the services and industry sector. Thailand is extremely dependent on exports, which account for over 60% of the GDP. Some of the main export products are textiles, beverages, cement, rice, cassava and rubber.
The country is filled with a variety of natural tourism attractions. It is known for its vast beaches, nature and has five UNESCO world heritage sites. Some of the major destinations include Railay Beach, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, The Grand Palace, Sukhothai, Doi Suthep, the Floating Markets, and Khao Sok National Park. The most popular tourist activities are fishing, scuba diving, watersports, sightseeing, and hiking. The country has a total of approximately 38 million tourists visiting every year originating from all over the world.