Kiwifarang

Can someone explain to me why anyone residing in New Zealand would pay $300 for a 60-day tourist visa now then? Indeed, pay any amount charged by the embassies and consulate generals of the respective countries for a 60-day tourist visa? Would having a 60-day tourist e-visa offer anything that visa waiver doesn't offer?

If you look up the prices, you'll find the price of a New Zealand visa is not outrageous. It's in line with other western countries and non-discriminatory in price, and also in the sense that some countries don't get visa free for good reasons, which is also in line with other countries not providing visa free to more or less the same set of countries. So, to reiterate, there appears, at least on the surface of it, from the consular statement written in Thai that visa fees in Wellington have been set as a tit for tat and as a negotiating point in upcoming discussions on granting visa free and have not been set in a manner consistent with other like countries. Alternatively, the Thai MoFA needs to set the fee higher because of extra security checks they must make on New Zealanders, e.g. because we are more dangerous than those of other countries (we don't include the idiot brothers in Phuket in that). I'd love to know why they need to charge us more. If it isn't for negotiations then there are at least two other possibilities, i.e. it cost more to issue us a visa in Wellington, or they dislike us and don't want us to travel to Thailand. Can anyone think of a reason that the Thai MoFA would do this?

So, one has to ask, if Thailand is suddenly applying a tit for tat reciprocal type of fee structure specifically for visas issued within New Zealand, then why are they not doing the same in the case of other countries that also charge Thai more for their visas? Perhaps this is a trial in diplomacy given the negotiations taking place next month that Srettha is having with Luxon and his request for visa free status for Thai. The visa free status of Thai was ended by the immigration minister Lianne Dalziel in 2001 when Thai were claiming asylum in New Zealand and working illegally in the country. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/changes-thai-and-czech-visa-requirements

The Google Translate of the Thai version of document posted on the Thai Wellington Embassy website states more than the English version attached to the same document. In addition to the changes in the exchange rate it states "including reciprocal treatment with the New Zealand Embassy". I take that to mean the cost of the New Zealand visas. Consular_Service_fees_1.pdf

Absolutely correct. So, the update has happened, and they have removed the notice. Strange though that the notice was still visible after the time had lapsed. So, has anyone noticed any changes to the fees for other embassies, or they all remain the same? Has the New Zealand fee reverted to the former fee in the update?

It is only available to those in the Southern Hemisphere. You see things are upside down here, so you'll have to hop on a plane and get on down under to make absolutely certain that what has been posted here is correct. I wish I could be of more help, but sorry I can't.

Time will tell, we may know as soon as tomorrow. The visa fees have been up on the Wellington Embassy website for a couple of weeks, with confirmation from the embassy that they are correct, and the same prices are in the e-visa system right now and available for people to purchase, so it would be quite a roll back in regard to Wellington and the MoFA reverting them to the former prices. I wonder how many have already paid and if they would get a refund if they did that.

I agree, or they could all be going up in the e-visa payment update happening tonight.

I wonder why so many such as ChaiyaTH need to do anything other than directly answer questions to the best of their ability, from what they know, so as to be helpful, or if they don't know remain quiet. Why is it necessary to criticise the person posting the question like it's some kind of sport to rip apart the newbie to the forum? Time to rip me apart now. I can sense the keyboard warriors ready to pounce and defend the tone and content of their replies to questions.

We'll see.

Payment Maintenance?

So given a US tourist visa is $185 USD / $305 NZD (approx) we can expect a Thai Visa in the USA to cost the same as a Thai visa in New Zealand. $5 cheaper than the US charge, but $89 more than NZ charges? Actually, come to think of it $300 NZD is weirdly similar to what the USA charges everyone including Thai. Is that what they have based the price on?

By the way, it appears to be clear that New Zealand is the only Embassy that have jacked up their prices to be ridiculously high. I'd love to know why. I doubt anyone will get an exact answer if they asked the Embassy, hence I'm not bothering to ask. All I can say is obviously Thailand doesn't like New Zealanders and treats Kiwi differently. So much for the 68 years of New Zealand and Thailand relations touted by the Thai PM when meeting the New Zealand PM recently. I'm sure New Zealand will be treating all Thai visa applicants differently to those from the rest of the world and they won't be paying the $211 New Zealand application fee, but an increased one (not). I'm sure we will be jacking it up to $300 for reciprocity (not), or perhaps more, since they can avail of up to 9 months on a tourist visa, while a Thai visa can only avail 90 days (not). Let's not forget that the prices of Non-B from Wellington and other visas are even more ridiculously priced. THAI airways also dropped the Auckland flight during COVID and have no known plans to return, this for a country of 5 million, whereas they fly to Perth in a state of 2.6 million. More proof that Thailand dislikes New Zealand for some unknown reason.

Hi Maestro, Can you explain what you mean? I'm trying to understand. I'm sure I'm mistaken hence I'm asking for clarification. Are you saying the e-visa system has thrown up $300 by mistake and when you enter your card details it takes less? Are you suggesting that the Wellington Embassy will receipt for less and pocket the rest? Or perhaps you are suggesting that only a receipt rather than a screen shot of the payment page suffices as proof for some reason? I can't understand your rational for needing a receipt as proof. What does being in New Zealand have to do with the cost of the visa. If one is in New Zealand one MUST apply at Wellington. If a New Zealander is on holiday in Australia one MUST apply at Wellington. If one is living in Australia one MUST apply in Australia. If one is living in Thailand one must leave the country to apply via e-Visa, unless they go to immigration and apply over the counter. I don't want to accuse you of not trusting my screen shot of the payment page on the e-Visa system, so I am holding off for your response to why you want a receipt. I'm sure you have a perfectly reasonable answer, I just want to know what it is.