The Thai Embassy in Hanoi reaffirmed on August 14 that Vietnamese citizens holding an ordinary passport are not required to obtain a visa when entering Thailand for various purposes.

The exemption applies for a period not exceeding 30 days on each visit.  The purposes include travel for reasons such as visiting relatives, doing business and attending seminars.

Thailand respects and continues to implement regulations on a basis consistent with the existing Agreement on Exemption of Visa Requirements between the two countries, a Thai Embassy diplomat said.

According to a bilateral agreement between Vietnam and Thailand on exemption for ordinary passport holders signed on May 9 2000, Vietnamese citizens are allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa.

However, as from August 12, Thailand started enforcing new rules aimed at cracking down on illegal migrants and workers.

Under the new rules issued by the Thai Immigration Bureau, if a Vietnamese citizen who frequently enters Thailand fails to prove that they're visiting Thailand for tourism purposes, they must apply for a visa.