ASTANA – The official visit of Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu to Thailand on April 23 resulted in signing an agreement on the exemption from visa requirements for national passport holders of both countries, reported the Foreign Ministry’s press service.
Murat Nurtleu with Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara. Photo credit: gov.kz
This agreement allows citizens of Kazakhstan and Thailand to stay in each other’s territory without a visa for up to 30 calendar days from the entry date. It will come into force once the domestic procedures are finalized.
The document was signed at a meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, who regarded Kazakhstan as Thailand’s key partner in Central Asia.
The ministers noted the positive dynamics of tourism cooperation, with the growing number of direct flights between the countries. In 2023, the number of Kazakh tourists visiting Thailand grew 2.5 times to 172,000, up from the figure recorded in 2022.
During the visit, the ministries of tourism and sports of Kazakhstan and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism.
Nurtleu emphasized the consistent growth of mutual interest between the countries in trade, evidenced by turnover’s historic high of $367 million reached by the end of 2023.
Nurtleu said that Thailand is Kazakhstan’s largest and most reliable partner in the Southeast Asian region. Over thirty years of strong diplomatic relations and regular contacts have facilitated comprehensive and fruitful interaction.
Both sides highlighted the potential for cooperation in agriculture and food security, necessitating the enhancement of contacts in business circles and searching for the most advantageous conditions for transporting goods.
The officials stressed Kazakhstan and Thailand’s similar positions on key global political issues, particularly nuclear non-proliferation and security in Asia. They expressed mutual interest in continuing cooperation at such platforms as the United Nations, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and the Dialogue on Cooperation in Asia.
