Economy

Sri Lanka tourists to get 60-day visa free entry to Thailand

Published

2 years ago

May 30, 2024

Tourists from Sri Lanka will receive visa-free entry to Thailand starting June 1, under a program approved by the country’s cabinet to boost the tourism sector, according to a media report.

Sri Lankans are among 36 countries added to a list of 57 countries eligible for 60-day stays under this scheme, The Bangkok Post reported.

The new countries eligible for the ‘Destination Thailand Visa’ include Albania, Cambodia, China, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Romania, and Uzbekistan.

Visitors who wish to work and visit tourist destinations can obtain five-year visas, valid for 180 days and extendable for another 180 days, according to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

The visa will also allow foreign students in higher education to stay for one year after graduation and work, instead of having to leave the country immediately after completing their courses.

“They can find work during the extended period, especially in the fields that we need,” the spokesman stated.

Visitors over 50 years old who want long-stay visas currently need to have health insurance coverage worth 3 million baht. This requirement has now been reduced to 440,000 baht (400,000 for inpatient treatment and 40,000 for outpatient cover).

The cabinet also approved expanding e-visa application services at Thai consulates and embassies from 47 to 94 locations, starting in September.

Economy

Sri Lanka literacy hits record 97.4%, gender gap closes for first time

Published

3 hours ago

April 12, 2026

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Sri Lanka has achieved a historic education milestone, with literacy rising to 97.4% in 2024, up from 95.7% in 2012.

For the first time since 1881, the literacy gender gap has closed, with males at 97.9% and females at 97.0%.

Digital literacy has reached 67.6%, while computer literacy stands at 34.7%, highlighting Sri Lanka’s growing digital transformation.

Economy

$ 900 m in four months: Port City Colombo signals new investment era

Published

1 day ago

April 11, 2026

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From November 2025 to March, Port City Colombo secured approximately $ 900 million in investments, an almost unprecedented surge for a project that had seen gradual traction in its early years amid broader macroeconomic challenges. The timing is not accidental.

After a prolonged period marked by the Easter Sunday attacks, the global shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, the project remained largely in a holding pattern.

International marketing efforts began to gain momentum from late 2025 onwards, as conditions began to stabilise.

“The macro story had to align first,” Aluwihare explained. “You cannot market a country when the fundamentals are unstable. Now, we are seeing recovery, policy alignment, and growing confidence, and we are finally seeing the results.”

From real estate to a ring-fenced financial ecosystem

Port City Colombo’s most significant transformation has been conceptual rather than physical. Originally envisioned as a waterfront real estate development, it has evolved into a fully ring-fenced services export Special Economic Zone (SEZ), enabled by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act.

Economy

Sri Lanka’s Official Reserves fall 3.5%in March – CBSL

Published

3 days ago

April 9, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Official Reserve Assets have decreased by 3.5% to USD 7,019 million in March 2026, according to the latest data of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The CBSL states that the decrease is from USD 7,270 million reported in February 2026.

The CBSL further states that the figure for March includes the swap arrangement with the People’s Bank of China.