kwilco

most alcoholics need a nnny- they just don't realise it.

so if you use Thailand as a hub on a 60 day visa, you have to pay for. re-entry permit every time and don't get ny extra days on re-entry

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so if you use Thailand as a hub on a 60 day visa, you have to pay for. re-entry permit every time and don't get ny extra days on re-entry

In the first two months of 2025, Chinese tourist arrivals to Thailand decreased by 12% year-on-year to 1 million, mainly due to economic challenges and safety concerns, as reported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand

THe whole thing is a mess - is they are worried about "undesirables" etc, wasn't the new ETA meant to sort that out? are they not going to implement that?

Yes- so you then hve to go to immigration and get a parmit 1900 baht, and all the hssle with that just on a 60 day stay which will expire in those fisrt 60 days - it means you can't be flexible and decide to pop over to Cambodia for a week etc - every time your gpoing to have to plan and book flights than get a visa - any major changes you can forget or you visa will expire. I never know when I'm going to Thailand these days or for how long - I also have friends in Laos and China so I now will have to work this all pout with visas etc. Most tourist destinations give you 60 to 90 days and re-entry - THailand tries to hold you prisoner.

It isn't just the 60 days - it was the genera; liberalisation of admissions that helped to increase tpourist numbers. At present Thailand has big problems with not enough Chinese, and th Eurpoean market which has been shrinking will not be helped by this.

Trouble with a visa is irt expires when you leave regardless of how long you've been there - if you plan to travel around the region you'll need aan METV.... and you are also assuming the price for a visa will remain the same

Assuming they allow you to re-enter that many times

there was a lot more liberalised than just the 30 day entry.

Really how do you know?

so yoyu'r a saint! what will you do if they return to limited entries on 30 day? Will you get back to tourist visas?

If tht is the case, we are looking at limited entries per year, no visa runs, quite frankly it could be very inconvenient. But we haven't be told the details - will they keep the 30 day extension? how many times per year will you be allowed? What about those who have already booked over 30 days. Te 60 day system was a lot more than just staying for 60 days, it changed travel behaviours in the region significantly.

As I said before - when I mentioned it wouldn't last, I was laughed at. But the devil will be the detail. Will they return to the old system of limited 30 day entries or will they still allow unlimited re-entry? Wat will the extensions be? How will this work in conjunction with the ETA? they agreed that the old system was restricting tourism, yet figures are not yet up to pre-covid levels and they want to "double" that - so this chopping and changing can't be good for consumer confidence. It also puts them out of line with tourist destinations around the world who in general offer 60 to 90 days to tourists. Returning to the old tourist visa system also has its drawbacks as it makes re-entry difficult on the 60 day SETV - people can no longer use Thailand as a S.E. Asia hub with multiple short stays.

so you're the problem?

THis is a typical Thai authority style decision - it is made without proper consultation or evidence - it's just. some minister has got it into his head that he /she doesn't like it and then they have shopped around for excuses. if they are concerned about illegal jobs and workers, there are plenty of other ways to deal with this problem. In fact the ETA may have helped - but they can't introduce that - they are incapable. I think the most likely reason is that immigration wasn't making any money from selling tourist visas anymore as they had become virtually redundant. Previously those working illegally e.g. dive schools gyms, tour guides etc used tourist visas to work - so rather than dealing with the problem people will just return to the old way of working illegally. THEy just don't seem to be able to cope and are looking round for something to blame rather than themselves

This will put Thailand out of line with a lot of countries around the world who offer 60 and 90 days as standard. Hwever it does give immigration an opportunity to sell a lot more tourist visas. They have been twiddling their thumps for the past year. The interesting parts will be in the detail. Will the 30 day extension end? Will there be a limit on the number of entries per year? How will the visa run companies cope? Without doubt a lot of European tourists, whilst not staying for 60 days at a time, have been using the ease of access to use Thailand as a hub for visiting S E. Asia in general. Will this require changes to the digital ETA and TM6 forms? Will it slow down the flow through the air ports?

THe M6 is still under construction - it has a dipped meridian which is far more likely to result in fatalities. THey open these roads to traffic for too soon.

A case of cynicism to cover ignorance...

That I can believe!

Ralf is psychic, he doesn't need a crash report!

So in your book, all people driving illegally end up dead?

It is a common mistake for "drivers" to assume they know about road safety As I said earlier, just because you went to school doesn't make you an educationalist, and just because you went to a hospital, doesn't make you a doctor., just because you can drive a car doesn’t make you an expert” on road safety. Many of the posts on this thread seem to concentrate on the messenger rather than the message……e.g. how long you’ve lived in Thailand, how far you’ve driven…. It is a constant source of amazement o me how little people know of the place even after living here for years… people think they have experience but in fact all they have done is accumulate bad habits. The real question isn’t ‘who has driven the most?’ but ‘who has learned the most from their experience in a structured, analytical way?’ If you want to talk about experience, here is my road safety experience Many discussions about road safety focus on the messenger rather than the message—how long someone has lived in Thailand or how far they’ve driven. But experience is only valuable when it leads to real understanding, not just reinforcing bad habits. The real question isn’t who has driven the most, but who has learned the most in a structured, analytical way. · Driving Experience · Driving in Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia since 1998—averaging about 30,000 km per year. · Driven in Canada, the U.S., North Africa (Morocco), and Australia, where I covered extensive distances from Northern Queensland, Sydney to Melbourne over five years, including university research in Queensland. · Experience driving across Europe: UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands—both private and commercial vehicles, including transporting art and antiques. Not regular routes but widely varying destinations. · Commercial driving in the UK, logging up to 90,000 miles in a single year, with an average of 50,000 miles per year over 20 years. · Riding motorbikes since age 7, with ownership of British and Japanese models. Worked for a major motorbike dealer and international racer in the UK and was employed by an important racing car company in the 1970s. Thailand-Specific Experience I have driven several hundreds of thousands of kilometres driven across Thailand and Laos. Two pickups, each sold after 295,000 km, plus additional mileage in hire vehicles. I worked in Thailand’s motor industry for 20 years, setting up training courses in motor factories as well as engineering, electronics and supply industries. Unlike many expats, I have worked almost exclusively with Thai professionals in engineering, government, factories and universities, earning a deep appreciation of Thai culture in business, social and transport settings... Speak conversational to intermediate level Thai (though still improving basic reading and writing skills). Road Safety Expertise BUT what you don’t have, I cut my teeth on road safety during my first degree which included a placement and my first report in a traffic engineers’ office in a major UK city, where I gained a foundation in road safety science.This experience gave me the ability to analyse, rationalize, and think critically about road safety beyond just personal driving history. The Bottom Line I’ve driven extensively—hundreds of thousands of kilometres in Thailand alone, and have a deep understanding of how the system works—far beyond what most expats (including yourself as a classic example) or tourists ever grasp. But mileage alone doesn’t make anyone an expert on road safety. Understanding why crashes happen and how to prevent them does.