BANGKOK: The government of Thailand approves smart visas implementation to attract foreign experts and individual investors in 10 targeted industries, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported, told Bernama,

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Kobsak Pootrakul said the special visa would start on Feb 1 and was aimed at attracting foreign experts, researchers, senior executives and startup operators to the targeted industries including future automobiles, food technology, future aviation, and tourism.

The government expects their arrival will lead to technology transfers and finance.

Scientific experts will receive four-year visa instead of 90 days. Their followers can come along and work in the country, Kobsak said.

Individual investors who are eligible for smart visas will invest at least 20 million baht in targeted industries and in the companies that base operations on technologies.

Kobsak said that up to 1,000 foreigners were expected to move in and receive smart visas and they would not affect local labour.