StayinThailand2much

Spot on. IMHO, we won't get anything meaningful (e.g. hospital treatment) for it. It's just a money grab. But yes, I appreciate the planning assistance. Instead of most of the year for the next few years, I will plan only 2-3 months in Thailand, checking out Vietnam, the Philippines, etc. instead.

What insurance?? I don't think, it will guarantee entry. And any 'insurance' one might get, will be useless. Okay, maybe they will insure accidental death with 10,000 baht... 😆

That's what I meant. Not keen to pay 300 baht every time, so, personally, I will limit my trips to not more than 2 a year due to this extra bureaucratic (not so much financial) burden... Also, what happens if one is denied entry? Will there be a on-the-spot refund in cash by the IO? 😆

I don't mind paying once, but imagine you travel to Thailand six times a year; that would be a cool 2,000 baht incl. bank fees...

Most likely not a problem for people travelling to Thailand once a year for a short holiday. But will be tricky for tourists that like to visit other countries in the region as well, before returning once more to Thailand. Personally, I will probably get a visa for, say two months, extend it, and that's it till next year... Will just spend the other nine months somewhere else.

I don't think that this will happen. IOs want to keep their power to ask you inane questions ("Why you come many times?", "When you go back your country?"...) - The automated gates will, IMHO, only be used at Departure.

Agreed; Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia are all much better value.

Well, the CCP warned, not so long ago, about seafood from Japan.

So, they cracked down on call center scams, and the Chinese didn't bother going to Thailand anymore... What does that tell you about Chinese tourists in Thailand? 😆

Is this Google-translated? 😆 If the perpetrator is American, why did the mother file a complaint with the French Embassy?

Wow, that's 49,090 baht for one person's holiday! 😲 Are people sleeping on the beach again, splurging on Mama noodles, or both?

Plenty of quality tourists from these countries already; guys visiting the skytrain escalators in Bangkok, and girls mostly hanging out at the beach in Pattaya and Phuket... 😆

I'm sure, for 100 billion trillion we can also build an escalator from Earth to the Moon, but what is the point of such fantasies? Who will ever come up with such huge sums of money; Elon Musk, perhaps? 😆

Good to know that, in addition to the Water Festival, Somtam, mango/sticky rice, etc., etc., Thailand now also has a monopoly when it comes to Buddhism and depictions of Lord Buddha.

What?? Hello, pssst, Thai Newsroom, not all travellers pay with ££, and why, once more, fishing for the bottom-travellers, i.e. backpackers? Already tired of the 'rich' Russians and Indians? Boo-hoo, the Chinese don't seem to love you anymore (or are they just afraid to get 'kidnapped', perhaps in Soi Pattayaland)?...

Yeah, that's what I worry about, when travelling to Thailand - getting kidnapped... 🙄 Btw, I heard that Japan is currently that popular with the Chinese because of the weak yen. Maybe the baht is too strong for them... 😙

Typical anti-foreigner rant. Tourists as potential perpetrators of crime... - I thought, most of those phone- and internet scams are done from neighbouring countries. Why would any criminal enter Thailand for crimes, rather than the U.S., Switzerland, or Singapore? Sure, limit visa-free entries to 30 days. Personally, I may not bother going to Thailand for such a (relatively) short time, as I don't usually travel to the other side of the world for less than six weeks.

If they have to use nonsensical season labels in the middle of the tropics, then why not, at least, welcome spring before "summer"... 😆

Two problems: 1. Will lead to weaker baht, so Thailand will lose face. 2. The upper 10,000 will have to pay more for overseas villas and holidays... So, better let the economy shrink. 😆

No, it's not. And once that war is finally over, guess whom media and politicians will blame for all ills in society, economy, and politics - Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump... (And no, my country isn't the U.S. either.)

I've been following talk shows and politics in my home country... High living costs - blame this war, expensive electricity - blame Putin, lack of affordable housing - it's the war! Country almost bankrupt and high debt - because of the Ukraine war, bad economy - just blame the war. Incompetent politicians - and yeah, blame the war in Ukraine .. 😵‍💫

Very interesting statistics; most exports go to ASEAN... (Rice, noodles, food??) Exports to 'Europe' (EU, UK, ...) and Japan are surprisingly low, relative to potential speaking, as are imports from Western countries. Seems, the reliance on neighbouring countries and, of course, China is very high, not only in tourism.

WW 111?? How long did I sleep? 😆

And now they have four times the number of tourists, who, on average, stay 1/4 of the holiday duration compared to 20 years ago... 😆

True, as all tourists have to leave after 90 days.