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Thailand announces huge changes to tourist visas in bid to boost tourism


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Rather than a new thread this query is posted here.

 

Re SETV not double because thats a pending maybe could be sometime option......

 

Will Savanakhet accept an upgraded Thai bank passbook copy with the account name in it, with the original passbook available if required or must they have a statement?

 

Also a reminder that the two Thai consulates in Laos are closed on Mon 3rd, Wed 5th and Mon 10th of December.

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27 minutes ago, sapson said:

Will Savanakhet accept an upgraded Thai bank passbook copy with the account name in it, with the original passbook available if required or must they have a statement?

The will accept the bank book for financial proof and a copy of it.

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On 11/27/2018 at 5:01 AM, johnsjourney said:

This seems to be an admission that the change from unlimited border runs, and removal of simple multiple tourist visas a couple of years ago was a mistake.  But whether and how soon they correct it is unknown.

I think you make a good point here.....it looks like a reversal of policy disguised to save face.

The high season is almost upon us....to have any effect on tourist numbers this year, you'd have thought it should be introduced quickly....and then just left to quietly run on so as not to affect the guy who introduced those regressive measures in the first place.

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16 hours ago, lkv said:

As the proud owner of one of these promotional VOA's (as of yesterday), that has a stamp in red over it saying "Visa Fee Exemption", in huge bold font, I will keep it as memorabilia. These events are rare indeed.

Do you mean VOA or SETV?

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15 hours ago, sapson said:

Rather than a new thread this query is posted here.

 

Re SETV not double because thats a pending maybe could be sometime option......

 

Will Savanakhet accept an upgraded Thai bank passbook copy with the account name in it, with the original passbook available if required or must they have a statement?

 

Also a reminder that the two Thai consulates in Laos are closed on Mon 3rd, Wed 5th and Mon 10th of December.

Do you mean *updated* .

They accept a photocopy of an up to date  bank account passbook to get a SETV in Savanakhet

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2 hours ago, kwilco said:

Do you mean VOA or SETV?

VOA.

 

Now it's zero instead of 2,000 baht until Jan 15.

 

Priority lane for VOA at 200 baht still going with no receipt at Suvarnabhumi.

 

There are no further changes at this stage regarding any other type of visas, as other posters have mentioned before.

 

 

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Seems to me that these changes, if implemented, are aimed at the "western" demographic, presumably in an effort to compensate for the large reduction in the Chinese sector.

Like a chicken following seed the Thai tourist industry seems to blindly follow the quickest money with little or no eye to the future..... so now a surplus capacity has to be dealt with.

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5 hours ago, asdfrules said:

It's not official yet, so no embassies have received notice of anything yet.  So far it seems like a half though-out plan that may or may not ever happen.

I would say unlikely.  It sounds like another TAT (Tourism Authority) idea which was shot-down or rendered useless by the faction who don't want foreigners sticking-around.   The restrictions attached to the METV come to mind.  So, TAT are stuck trying to draw-in some poorer visitors who can only just afford the visit, if the 2K Baht VOA fee is waived, but could not pull it off otherwise.

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9 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

I would say unlikely.  It sounds like another TAT (Tourism Authority) idea which was shot-down or rendered useless by the faction who don't want foreigners sticking-around.   The restrictions attached to the METV come to mind.  So, TAT are stuck trying to draw-in some poorer visitors who can only just afford the visit, if the 2K Baht VOA fee is waived, but could not pull it off otherwise.

But if your a long stayer retired already proved your worth to just get in, it,ll be 800K baht thanks! As Pauline says”please explain”

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11 hours ago, Olmate said:

But if your a long stayer retired already proved your worth to just get in, it,ll be 800K baht thanks! As Pauline says”please explain”

The exception to "go away" is to "pay tribute."   A portion of those making extensions use agents, which provides the desired tribute-payment.  If a high enough percentage are found to be avoiding tribute-contributions, the goalposts are moved - as has now happened with the embassy letter situation.  A one-time payment of 500K to 1M Baht tribute for an elite-visa is also acceptable.

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breaking news! To make sure everybody stays with both feet on the ground. Just got back from my visa application in Savan...They don't change 60 day single visa in 6 months double entry visa for 1000 Baht. so just expect to receive a 60 days single entry.....add a bankstatement with your application, they DON'T accept without.

have a nice day!

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4 hours ago, lersi said:

breaking news! To make sure everybody stays with both feet on the ground. Just got back from my visa application in Savan...They don't change 60 day single visa in 6 months double entry visa for 1000 Baht. so just expect to receive a 60 days single entry.....add a bankstatement with your application, they DON'T accept without.

have a nice day!

IMHO, just 'hot air' to look good in Chinese media... But the Chinese are not stupid; they will quickly realise that this was fake news/announcements!

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14 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

IMHO, just 'hot air' to look good in Chinese media... But the Chinese are not stupid; they will quickly realise that this was fake news/announcements!

These visas don't apply to Chinese tourists...they are largely aimed at westerners

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On 11/14/2018 at 2:17 PM, AGareth2 said:

back to border runs folks

Don’t worry, it will just be in place long enough to “lure” people back so they can screw them once more.

 

Thailand truly is the worlds largest f-shack, and it has nothing to do with their red light districts. 

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2 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Here's a stupid question. Is the "re-entry permit" automatic, or do you have to apply for it and pay the usual fee?

Nobody can answer that question since there is no info about it other that what was in the news article.

 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
18 minutes ago, lastminutebozo said:

Can someone clarify this to me. If approved post trial, does this mean that you can stay in thailand as long as this rule is active, and go through the border and re enter?

This change never happened.  All that occurred, was to incentivize more poorer, short-term tourists with discount VOAs.

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6 minutes ago, lastminutebozo said:

So, was it rejected? and did the trail occur?

It was never approved by immigration or the MFA. This is the first line the OP.

"THE CABINET yesterday agreed in principle to back measures to stimulate Thailand’s tourism in the early high season."

 

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All they need to do now is make their "Tourist Visa" the same as the Philippine version = stay forever on a renewable tourist visa and leave the country every three years. Simple way to compete with the current visa leader in Asia.

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