Maldives requests Thai government to waive visa fees

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdul Samad Abdulla has requested the Prime Minister of Thailand for her government to consider waiving the visa fees for Maldivians who visit Thailand.

Thai newspaper the Bangkok Post reported the country’s government spokesperson Thirat Rattanasewi to have said that the request was made during a meeting between Foreign Minister Samad and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday.

Thirat Rattanasewi said that Prime Minister Yingluck assured Foreign Minister Samad that Thailand is willing treat Maldives as a "joint development partner".

Thai authorities charge $30 from Maldivians for on-arrival visas of 15 days.

In contrast, Maldivians are allowed free visas for 30 days to enter SAARC and other South East Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Statistics show that a total of 100,000 Maldivians visited Thailand last in 2012. The numbers also reveal that Maldivians visiting Bangkok has seen a steady increase of 30 percent per year during the past few years.

Trade between the two countries sumed up to $109 million (MVR 1.5 billion) last year.

During her recent visit to the Maldives, Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra told President Dr. Mohamed Waheed that about 700 Thai people work in Maldives in various industries and expressed concern over reports that Thai girls are subjected for forced labour in the Maldives.