The Cabinet has approved a proposal for Sri Lanka and Thailand to sign a mutual visa exemption agreement covering holders of ordinary passports — three weeks after Thailand removed Sri Lanka from its own 60-day visa waiver scheme.
Under the proposed agreement, citizens of both countries holding valid ordinary passports would be able to enter, leave and transit through the other country without obtaining a visa in advance, for general tourism purposes, the Daily Mirror reported.
The exemption allows a single stay of up to 30 days, with a cumulative stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
It does not cover employment, education, media-related activities, or any other activity requiring prior approval from the relevant authorities. The Daily Mirror reports the proposal was submitted by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs.
What the minister said
Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said both governments had agreed to the exemption “with the aim of further strengthening the friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand and facilitating travel for their citizens,” EconomyNext reported.
Asked whether Sri Lankan passport holders would get the same terms in Thailand, Jayatissa confirmed the arrangement is reciprocal: “To make travel convenient for ordinary citizens — for ordinary citizens of both countries, Thailand and Sri Lanka — approval is being obtained to issue these free visas for a 180-day period.”
Why this matters now
The agreement follows a year in which Sri Lankan travellers’ access to Thailand has been steadily reduced rather than expanded.
In 2024, Thailand exempted Sri Lankan passport holders from visa requirements for up to 60 days, covering tourism, business engagements and urgent or ad-hoc work. Thailand later cut the permitted stay to 30 days, and last month removed Sri Lanka from its 60-day visa exemption scheme altogether, effective 15 September, according to EconomyNext.
Sri Lanka currently grants Thai nationals a 30-day visa-free single entry, obtained after an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) is secured online.
The new agreement would therefore put the two countries on a matched 30-day footing by treaty, rather than restore the longer waiver Sri Lankans previously held.
EconomyNext noted that while visa exemption can lift tourism and investor interest, it can also attract criminal and illegal business activity unless proper protocols are in place.
Not reported
Neither filing says when the agreement will be signed or take effect, whether an ETA or similar pre-clearance will still be required on either side, or whether the 15 September downgrade prompted the negotiation. No date is given for Thai parliamentary or cabinet-level ratification, and neither report states whether the 90-day aggregate cap replaces or sits alongside Sri Lanka’s existing ETA regime for Thai visitors.
