The Thai government extended the temporary visa fees to the country by the end of April 2019. The new deadline applies to tourists from 20 countries, including Bulgaria. 

This move aims to return to Thailand Chinese tourists who have fallen due to the economic downturn in their home country and the shipwreck at Phuket Island in the summer when 47 Chinese died. Many citizens of the PRC and other countries in the region are expected to visit the kingdom in February in connection with local and general Asian cultural events.

The Thai authorities will not require visa fees for tourists who will stay in the country within 15 days if they are citizens of Andorra, Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, , Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine or Uzbekistan.

The economy of Thailand is largely dependent on tourism. It is expected this year that the kingdom will meet a record number of guests - 40 million people, many of whom will rest on the southern beaches and resorts of the country.