India eases visa rules for Thais

By THE NATION

INDIA has eased visa requirements for Thai nationals.

 

A five-year multiple-entry tourist visa has been introduced alongside a five-year multiple-entry business visa. Both visas allow stays of 90 days for each visit. 

 

An express service enables visas to be issued by the next working day.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30305123

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-28

Thailand set to extend free visa offer in bid to lure more foreign tourists

Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister for Tourism and Sports  

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister has announced plans to extend the current free visa incentives for foreign tourists by another three months.

The move is aimed at giving Thailand’s tourism industry a much needed boost as it heads into what is traditionally the low season, as well as helping the industry cope with the sudden decrease in arrivals from China following last year’s crackdown on zero dollar tours.

Speaking at the Asean Tourism Forum 2017 in Singapore, Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said she would propose extending the visa offer at a Cabinet meeting next Tuesday.

In September, Thailand launched its crackdown on zero dollar tours, which resulted in a huge drop in tourist arrivals from China.

Previous figures released from TAT for November revealed that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand had plummeted by 30 percent. The situation is said to have improved slightly but Chinese arrivals are still expected to be down by 13 percent for January.

In order to try and make up the shortfall left by visitors from China, the cabinet announced in November that the visa on arrival fee would be halved to 1,000 baht for the 19 eligible nations from December 1st to February 28th 2017.

During the same period, Thailand also announced it was waiving 1,000 baht fee for a single entry tourist visa for all nationalities.

Mrs Kobkarn told the Bangkok Post the visa incentive had helped to boost tourist arrivals in December and that between January 1st to 20th, 1.8 million international tourists arrived in Thailand, which is a 6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, TAT Governor Dr Yuthasak Supasorn said he expects more visitors from ASEAN as Thailand is promoted as a weekend or short trip tourist destination to independent travellers within the region.

Dr Yuthasak added that these tourists spend an average 5,244 baht per person per day or 29,580 baht per trip, Daily News reported.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-01-21

Thai Sutijet and Teenage Phachara in Hunt for Maiden Asian Tour Win.

By THe Naion and Agencies

Sutijet Kooratanapisan

Cool and calm Sutijet Kooratanapisan moved closer towards his breakthrough on the Asian Tour after carding a three-under-par 69 to lead teenage prodigy Phachara Khongwatmai by two strokes at the US$1 million Resorts World Manila Masters on Saturday.

Sutijet overcame a two-shot deficit at the start of the day to take his place atop the leaderboard with his three-day total of 16-under-par 200 at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/sports/30299846

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-13

Western Bulldogs beat Sydney to win AFL Grand Final 

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Western Bulldogs produced an emphatic final quarter to beat Sydney 13.11 (89) to 10.7 (67) in the grand final of the Australian Football League Saturday, to claim its first premiership since 1954.

The Melbourne-based Bulldogs trailed 7.3 (45) to 7.1 (43) at halftime but its renown midfield aggression wrestled back the advantage and gave the Bulldogs a 9.7 (61) to 8.5 (53) lead at three quarter time. The Bulldogs dominated the final term, outscoring Sydney 28-12, to break the AFL's longest premiership drought.

The Bulldogs had to come from seventh place at the end of the regular season to reach the grand final for the first time since 1961 and started heavy underdogs against the top-ranked Swans who were bidding for the second title in five years.

Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen won the Norm Smith medal as the best player on the field, typifying the tenacity of a team which was given little chance of winning the title when it started so far back at the outset of the playoffs.

The 23-year-old rookie had a team-high 33 possessions and a game-high nine inside 50s, leading his team's revival in the second-half just as Sydney seemed to be taking control.

"It's been an amazing ride and I just love being a part of it," Johannisen said. "To all the supporters, it's been a long time coming. We did it."

Tom Boyd, who finished second in medal voting, was also outstanding for the Bulldogs, booting three goals and winning six contested marks. Josh Kennedy came third with a game-high 34 possessions and three goals.

The match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of a crowd of 99,981.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge handed his premiership winner's medal to team captain Robert Murphy who missed the grand final with an injury. Murphy was also allowed to lift the trophy aloft with stand-in captain Easton Wood.

The 34-year-old Murphy has played for the Bulldogs since 2000 but was forced to miss the grand final with a knee injury.

"He's the heartbeat of our club. He's our leader," defender Matthew Boyd said.

The Bulldogs, formerly Footscray, led 2.0 (12) to 1.2 (8) at the end of the first quarter but fell behind by two points at halftime. They began their surge in the third quarter and outscored the Swans 3.4 in the last term.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-10-02

Thailand and Brunei granted visa-free access to Taiwan

Taipei, July 15 (CNA) Citizens of Thailand and Brunei will be granted visa-free access to Taiwan starting on Aug. 1, according to a measure approved by the Cabinet on Friday.

The measure, which will allow Thai and Brunei nationals visa-exempt stays of up to 30 days, will be implemented on a trial basis for a period of one year, said Cabinet spokesman Tung Chen-yuan (童振源).

Nationals of Cambodia, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam who have received visas to Australia, Canada, the Schengen area, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom or the United States over the past 10 years, will also be allowed to enter Taiwan visa-free after registering on the internet, Tung said.

The Cabinet said it hoped the new visa-free initiative would boost the number of visitors from Southeast Asia by 20 percent, or about 280,000 visitors, in 2016, from the 1.43 million people from the region who visited Taiwan in 2015.

Full story: http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201607150022.aspx

Focus Taiwan: 2016-07-16

Ariya Jutanugarn, First Thai Winner in Tour History, Poised to Three-peat

Bangkok native Ariya Jutanugarn putts on the 13th green Thursday during the second round of the LPGA Volvik Championship golf tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich. Photo: Carlos Osorio / Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ariya Jutanugarn tore her scorecard into pieces after walking off the 18th green at Travis Pointe, proving the competition isn't the only thing she is tearing up.

Jutanugarn moved a step closer to winning a third straight LPGA Tour title by shooting a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-shot lead in the Volvik Championship.

She had four back-nine birdies, including No. 18 when her approach went off a hospitality suite and landed in a greenside bunker 20 yards from the hole.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1464421911

-- Khaosod English 2016-05-29