Waiving of visa on arrival fees under consideration

[outsider]

I could be wrong, but it's November now. Except for those living in neighbouring countries i.e. Malaysia, and other ASEAN countries, people from further away don't just decide to holiday in Thailand on a whim. And this visa-holiday is only from December to end January - it's just less than a month away. I assume most people would've made their year-end travel plans a long time ago. This is more like grasping at straws than an actual tactical boost to the industry.

 

As for decliing tourist arrivals, let it slide more until the scamming and thieving Somchais on the streets feel it. Until they bring back the real and sincere Thai hospitality and treat tourists with respect, instead of herding them around like cattles in a slaughterhouse, they don't deserve visitors from any country.

 

 

[Bundooman]

14 hours ago, Redline said:

Yeah, that will fix everything.  Next year they may have to give away little bags of old rice, or something to lure people in

Yingluck tried that - didn't she? It didn't work then and it wouldn't work now - even though I know you were kidding, Right?

 

 

[shaurene]

34 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

All this is ignored, as talking about them would be a loss of face, by admitting there are problems that no one is doing anything about solving.

It's so inward looking, without wanting to admit that other countries can see these problems too, boycotting Thailand because of them.

More a loss of BRAINS. Not many feel safe any more in Thailand, the law is for 1. Falangs, the Thais get away with murder, 

They know they will only get their wrists  slapped and a 100-1,000

baht fine. The Thais are allowed to drive without a license, 

But, it is all a waste of time telling them.

[Jiggo]

Someone had better tell them that Pidgeon's spread disease.....

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Someone had better tell them that Pidgeon's spread disease.....

T-shirts available now:

[Kerryd]

Yeah, I highly doubt the 2,000 baht fee is deterring all those tourists from Bhutan, Fiji, Eritrea, Latvia, Malta, the Maldives and other countries from coming (or that the numbers of arrivals from those countries even makes a small dent in the overall numbers).

 

Interesting that they are cracking down on people from some parts of the world, then offering "free" visas (on arrival) to people from those same areas !

The reduction in the number of Chinese tourists probably has more to do with the crackdown on the "zero-dollar" tourism. If the companies doing those "zero dollar" trips are getting slammed, they are going to divert their customers to other destinations where they can get away with similar tactics. (Be interesting to see if Cambodia's numbers go up when Thailand's go down. Or Malaysia's, Laos's and Myanmar's.)

The average Chinese tourist probably has no idea about the boat tragedy in Phuket just like the average UK tourist probably has no idea about what happened on Koh Tao years ago (or supposedly happened a few months ago even) and, quite frankly, the loss of 40 people is probably not considered that big of deal in a country of over 1.5 billion. It's not like they are all planning to go to Phuket and go on boat rides to begin with. (Though the numbers going to Phuket did drop for awhile after the tragedy, they will go up again and after a few months will probably be higher than before. Just like what happened after the Tsunami.)

You average tourist probably goes to a tourism company who offers them a number of destinations and will push some based on what's best for that company. For example, many of those companies have deals with different airlines and buy "blocks" of seats on certain flights. They get them at a discount and sell them at a premium, but if they don't get butts in those seats, they lose money. As a result, they'll push people to certain destinations to try and fill those seats.

The tourist may or may not have a particular destination in mind and a combination of attractive prices, shiny brochures and motivated travel agents can convince them to go a completely different way than they originally may have thought about.

 

I am sure that is a large reason why places like Pattaya are suffering. If the Tourism Authority and the travel agencies aren't pushing certain destinations, the "average" tourist is probably picking a different destination that sounds more appealing and Thailand isn't on the radar as often as it may have been in the past. (Talking about the average "Western" tourist.)

This weekend I was out with a couple (Thai) business owners and they were telling me about how bad business is. I told them that it was the early part of "high season" and would get better but they told me there is no "high season" anymore.

All year it's the same thing. Scads of people from India, the Middle East and China walking around spending no money at all. (Japanese and Koreans are spending some, but nothing like it used to be when the streets were full of people from Scandinavia/Germany/France/UK/America/Canada/Australia/etc).

I was on Walking Street at 11pm on a Friday night.  Beer bars which should have been overflowing were struggling to attract any customers. One place that has 10 beer bars under one roof had maybe 20-25 foreigners. A few years ago that place would have been packed from front to rear.
As I strolled down WS I noticed it was pretty much the same all along the stretch. It only took a couple of minutes to walk from soi 16 to soi Diamond because the crowds were so thin it was hard to call them "crowds". (One bar owner commented that one of the foreigners playing "free" pool at his bar had been there for about 2 hours - and had only bought one beer - as there was no one else lining up to play.) I noticed the pool tables at the bar across from his were not being used either, and these were the bars closest to the street.

 

Then there's the "trickle down" effect. If the tourists that are here aren't spending money, then the bars/restaurants/shops aren't making money and their staff aren't making money. If the staff aren't making money, they aren't spending it either, so other businesses are suffering (locally and across the country). A lot of sick buffalo in Isaan are not getting the medical attention they were accustomed to receiving in years past !

 

I still say that someone, somewhere, thought that by promoting Thailand more to China and India and less to the "West", they'd be able to offset the loss in income by having more tourist arrivals (quantity over quality) and reduce the amount of "sex tourism" in the process as well.

The number of arrivals looks good but almost everywhere you go, people are complaining that business is poor because - again - all those people aren't spending money (insert "beating a dead horse" emoji here).
Even Thailand has had to admit (sort of) that it's been a problem, as evidenced by their concern over all the "zero dollar" tourism that resulted in higher numbers of arrivals - but little or no boost to the economy. (And now may be responsible, in part, for the reduction in the number of arrivals.)

My Thai friends kind of shrug and hope that, soon, things will change again and business will pick up again. Unfortunately it could take a decade, or more, to get back to where they were before. 

Thailand waiving the Visa on Arrival fee isn't likely to help the overall situation very much, even if the numbers of arrivals increase, so long as all those new arrivals aren't spending anything.

[FinChin67]

Just need to fix this sentence:

"Tour operators, hotels and restaurants in Phuket have confirmed that there were still no signs of Chinese tourists returning to the province." 
to
"Tour operators, undertakers, crematoriums, hotels and restaurants in Phuket have confirmed that there were still no signs of Chinese tourists returning to the province."

[mercman24]

ha ha just look at those countries , Quality Tourists ?? but dont worry we will get our money back , in fines,by not reporting where you are staying he he

[soalbundy]

16 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

They must be desperate to attract more tourists from China and India...

 

But I don't think that the visa fee keeps visitors from coming. There are other reasons.

Oh I don't know about that, paying 2,000 Baht would be one of my biggest concerns, that's a whole bar fine !

[phil2407]

Do the Chinese have to show 20k baht if asked - or is it oh you’re Chinese- welcome whatever? 

[ZAKY]

The point of saturation has been reached! The higher is the climb the worst it is when you fall. Will The $60 exemption matters that much? Isnt that those loyals are no more coming back? 

[SupermarineS6B]

You couldn't make it up if you tried......  Take over one of the best tourist fun destinations in the world and within a few years destroy it, that takes a special kind of stupidity, one i fear that will not leave in peace, rather in pieces........ If only we could turn the clock back, ten years would be just right, then keep your stupid fingers out of it !  Go and play with your submarines or toy soldiers somewhere else........

[mike324]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

Yeah, I highly doubt the 2,000 baht fee is deterring all those tourists from Bhutan, Fiji, Eritrea, Latvia, Malta, the Maldives and other countries from coming (or that the numbers of arrivals from those countries even makes a small dent in the overall numbers).

 

Interesting that they are cracking down on people from some parts of the world, then offering "free" visas (on arrival) to people from those same areas !

.....

Well said. This is the same in many country around Asia too that use to rely on chinese tourist. South Korea, and Taiwan are prime examples and are in the same position as Thailand. You just can't always rely on the chinese tourist.

 

Thailand is just not as attractive as it use to be. My guess is that with the invention of budget airlines, many folks can travel to nearby destinations for cheap and have a budget holiday as well since they save so much money flying long distance.

 

Thailand isn't as budget as it use to be and just not as exotic anymore.

Like other have said, make safety the priority and tourist will come back. 

[1337markus]

The number of tourists coming through Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2016 and 2017 were 3.1 million and 2.2 million respectively, he said, but from January to September this year, the number had declined to 1.7 million.

 

TAT states the opposite, LOL.

 

Let the battle begin between these two government departments. Want to see who loses face!

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, Wiggy said:

The reason people are not coming here is probably not because of the visa fee. Take a look around you, Thailand, and see what you're offering; a lack of safety, scams, cheap, tacky goods, filthy beaches and impolite service personnel, to name but a few.

 

I think you'd find that the cheap, tacky goods are made in China. Nothing to do with Thailand. Otherwise yes, I agree with all of the above. The scrum of people waiting to check in in the fourth photo above isn't much of an encouragement either. Who wants that before a long flight.

[Stoker58]

“The number of tourists coming through Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2016 and 2017 were 3.1 million and 2.2 million respectively, he said, but from January to September this year, the number had declined to 1.7 million”.

  1.7m in nine months is roughly on track for 2.2m again, but a drop from 3.1m in 2016 is huge, so there’s more going on here than just the Phuket boat disaster. I doubt if free visas will fix it.

[kentrot]

And now - would they consider giving me a FREE "Multiple Re-entry VISA" (currently 3,800 Baht/year) so that I will come back into the Kingdom after a short trip ... and continue to inject my pension into the economy - month after month , year after year -  supporting a Thai wife, paying tuition for children's schooling (so that they will be better trained to run this country in future), rescuing various family needs,  regular trips to grocery stores, purchasing vehicles-insurance-gas-maintenance , supporting golf courses on a weekly basis all year long,  etc.,  etc., etc.  

 

Where is the Government "gesture of support" for us Long Time residents who pump untold piles of imported cash into the economy long term ? 

[Wiggy]

48 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I think you'd find that the cheap, tacky goods are made in China. Nothing to do with Thailand. Otherwise yes, I agree with all of the above. The scrum of people waiting to check in in the fourth photo above isn't much of an encouragement either. Who wants that before a long flight.

This is very true, but if Thailand made some more local, higher quality merchandise it might attract more tourists. 

[lvr181]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

...observers in the industry said social media in China had spread negative reports...

Of course, it is the social media to blame for tourist numbers dropping. ???? 

 

Somebody had to tell the truth! Perhaps mainstream media were "banned" from telling the truth?

 

Oh well, back to "shooting the messenger" (and continue to play the blame game without addressing the fundamental underlying issues)!

 

TIT.

[amse]

Under Consideration????

[Mavideol]

6 hours ago, bluesofa said:

What's the point of listing 20 countries plus Taiwan, rather than 21 countries? Is it part of the ongoing giant kowtow to China, by not acknowledging Taiwan is a country, I wonder?

you are correct but still they made a mistake, let's see China SAYS Taiwan is part of China thus same country why name Taiwan separately, if they want to please China the list is only 20 countries. Now out of the 20 countries check out how many are considered high travelers

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

you are correct but still they made a mistake, let's see China SAYS Taiwan is part of China thus same country why name Taiwan separately, if they want to please China the list is only 20 countries. Now out of the 20 countries check out how many are considered high travelers

Who knows, perhaps instead of the "one country, two systems" statement by Deng Xiaoping, it might eventually become "one country, three systems", to incorporate Taiwan and avoid loss of face?

[Sydebolle]

It would help if the government could make up its mind. Mr. Puttipong Punnakanta refers to a decline of 10% over the last three months (most likely compared to last year) while the Tourism Authority of Thailands circus directors report double digit growth.
Suvannaphum airport records over the last three years period JAN-SEP a steady decline from 3.1 million via 2.2 million to 2018's figure of 1.7 million. 
The total number of tourists were (according to TAT) more than 30 million, take ¾ of that and you have 22.5 million less the 3.1 million at Suvannaphum = 19.4 million. Take the entire capacity of all other international airports UTH, CEI, CNX, HKT and DMK, just to name a few then 60% must have entered overland. Overland tourist arrivals from Myanmar are negligible, Cambodia, Laos - albeit more but still irrelevant and entire rest floods in from Malaysia?
 

[Mad mick]

military coup muppets luv reinventing the wheel , not long ago brain wave lets close street vendors on kasson rd numbers dropped ! PM reveres brainwave kicks in OMG we better reinstate kasson rd i did not know its world wide known icon, everything he touches back fires, all live in there military ivory towers . 

[atyclb]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Passport holders of Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China,  Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania,

 

 

great success

[Caine]

Problem is baht valued too high, general everday shopping and entertainment outrageously high. The whole country has been built on bullshit ( a Thai nation pastime )for decades. Now the cracks are starting to appear and crumble a bit like their Jerry built condos.

[Benmart]

4 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Thick as a brick. They just don't get it, do they?

IF there were safety standards enforced IF the streets, beaches, etc were cleaned up, IF Thai law enforcement and justice actually did what is considered law and justice, IF the scams, hustles, shoddy products were cleaned up...

That might bring tourists back but would definitely be of benefit to the average Thai, expat and other living things

It isn't the stupid visa fee.... sheesh

Smoke and mirrors are the real tourist attraction. The reality is tourists go on-line a tell the real story, complete with photos and video. 

[cedel]

3 hours ago, mercman24 said:

ha ha just look at those countries , Quality Tourists ?? but dont worry we will get our money back , in fines,by not reporting where you are staying he he

I have my own condo in Pattaya since nearly 10 years, and the last time I was there with a 2 months tourists visa, when I went to Jomtien immigration to ask for a 30 day extension (usually 1900 baht), the girl who checks your paper hypocritically gave me a small paper with an old law never enforced for particulars but normally for the hotels, stating that I had, only 24 or 48 hours I don't remember to come to immigration after my arrival to tell them that I stay in my OWN CONDO !! And as I did not, I broke the law and had to pay a fine of I think 1600 or 1900 before to be able to pay the 1900 to get my extension !!! That is just pure RIP-OFF and another thing that will prevent people to come... I understand that the hotels must do that but with my visa and also on the card received in the plane for immigration, THEY ASKED ME ALREADY WHERE I WILL STAY. And in fact, it is even worse than that, if you want to full respect this law, in my case, as a condo owner, if I sleep even 1 night in a hotel (who must report my identité), in Pattaya, or in another city, I also have to go to immigration to report my adress when I come back to my condo !!!! 

Sad to see how dishonnest and greedy even thai immigration has become... (and same with floating market, thai national Parks and many other administrations or places related to foreigner tourists) 

[atyclb]

38 minutes ago, Benmart said:

5 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Thick as a brick. They just don't get it, do they?

IF there were safety standards enforced IF the streets, beaches, etc were cleaned up, IF Thai law enforcement and justice actually did what is considered law and justice, IF the scams, hustles, shoddy products were cleaned up...

That might bring tourists back but would definitely be of benefit to the average Thai, expat and other living things

It isn't the stupid visa fee.... sheesh

Smoke and mirrors are the real tourist attraction. The reality is tourists go on-line a tell the real story, complete with photos and video. 

 

 

exactly.  nearby vietnam has no problem even charging visa fee. chinese and others visiting at ever increasing levels.   typical one year multiple entry visa for vietnam all done online before you go, and costs less than thailand visa and infinitely less hassles.

[marqus12]

old smelly buses, temples and latex shopping... boring ,dirty and sometimes

dangerous offer for Chinese .Why should they come back?

Trade war and the drop in the value of yuan also matter. if the Chinese economy

falls into a crisis, Thailand goes down with the Chinese

 

And then they will have to open their legs wide for those who

have always comes back here ... white lonely desperates

 

Or maybe this time it will be different and no one will be interested anymore...

Edited November 7, 2018 by marqus12