Thai government launches visa allowing Muay Thai training for tourists for up to 90 days.

The Thai government plans to issue a special 90-day visa for foreign tourists who want to learn Thailand’s traditional martial art (Muay Thai) in the country, as part of efforts to promote the Southeast Asian nation’s soft power.

In his post on a social network on January 14, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the government is ready to issue the special 90-day visa, instead of the standard 60 days, to learn Muay Thai.

A similar visa will also be offered to tourists who wish to learn Thai classical dance and music, or cook Thai food, which are listed among elements of Thailand’s soft power, he said.

The PM's plan has received a positive response from many netizens, calling it a good idea to promote Thai tourism and culture without extra expenditure.

Assoc. Prof. Pimol Srivikorn, one of the prime minister’s advisors and chair of the soft power subcommittee on sports, said at its recent meeting, the panel recommended that the government must first set the standards for Muay Thai trainers and organise a training course for them, so they can be sent abroad to teach the martial art.

Muay Thai has become popular in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the US.

The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that the market value of sports-related tourism in 2018 was estimated at about 120 billion TBH (over 3.4 billion USD) and that is averagely increasing by 5% per year.
* Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO)