Fewer Thais entering South Korea for study, training
The number of Thais holding student and training visas visiting the East Asian country last year was 21,000 in 2024, a 40% dip from 2023, Yonhap reported, citing data from Statistics Korea released on Thursday.
The official South Korean statistical office did not provide details of the drop in Thai visitors entering the country with those types of visa, but said it was an outlier in the overall trend, which saw the total number of foreigners entering the country for study or training rise by 19% to 99,000.
The number of Chinese citizens studying or training in South Korea also dropped – by 18% to 112,000 – while those from Vietnam jumped 25% to 88,000.
South Korea had fewer jobs on offer for foreigners last year in line with an economic slowdown in the country, according to the official news agency.
Last year 164,000 foreigners entered South Korea with a working visa, a 5% drop from 2023, due to slow demand for foreign workers in local companies, Yonhap said, citing statistics agency official Yoo Sook-doek.
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