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Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has informally instructed relevant agencies to form a working group to review all visa categories, including investment, long-term, student, and digital nomad visas, as part of a broader examination of the visa system, Nation Thailand reported.

The proposed reduction of 60-day visa-free stays to 30 days would be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, Bangkok Post reported.

Visitors from 93 countries are eligible for the 60-day waiver.

Authorities said the average length of stay for foreign tourists in Thailand is just over nine days. Norwegians record the longest average stay of around 21 days.

Officials said a 30-day visa waiver would be sufficient for most visits, while those traveling for purposes such as internships or medical treatment could apply for appropriate visas.

Thailand has ongoing issues involving visitors engaging in prohibited business activities and using local proxies to circumvent regulations.

However, the proposals to reduce the visa-free stay duration and introduce an entry fee for foreign tourists have faced criticism from the tourism industry, which warns this could cause the country to lose out to regional rivals such as Vietnam and Malaysia.

In the first quarter, Malaysia welcomed 10.6 million tourists, up 5% year-on-year, making it the most visited country in Southeast Asia.

Thailand was second with 9.3 million arrivals after a year-on-year decrease of 2.3%.