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

[CanuckThai]

Have you ever had a favorite restaurant that you frequented, supported and enjoyed forever, all of a sudden change  management, the menu, the decor, and the staff?  Within no time flat, the restaurant lost customers, quality was down, prices went up.... and everyone went next door

Edited November 14, 2018 by CanuckThai

[irishken]

Trying to keep up with Thailand Visa rules would make your head spin. 

[Deli]

1st of all, too late. 2nd, if tourists are spending thousands of $ on plane ticket, accommodation, etc.,  who the hell cares about peanuts for visa fees.

Smoke and mirrors only. Cheap Charley long stayers don't safe the budget figures.

[madmitch]

I thought that perhaps they might be going the e-visa route but that's not part of the equation yet. It must be time to modernise the whole system. Online re entry permits as well would be very welcome. 

[Cereal]

With me living in Laos and the law passed a couple of years back allowing 2 land crossing per year, I am wondering how this will affect me? Is it going back to the old system whereby I had unlimited crossings with my multi-entry B2 visa for Laos? The article is not extremely clear on that point.

[realenglish1]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The Interior Ministry regulation will be amended to allow foreigners who receive a visa waiver for 30 days and travel into Thailand via land immigration checkpoints or land border checkpoints to enter the country with an unlimited number of visa waivers per calendar year. 

Its clear that limiting visa waivers is hurting big time. I know of lots of people that just stopped coming because of the old rule

[robsamui]

What kind of half-wits are in charge of immigration policy here? How in God's name can ANYONE sane offer long-term visas (6 months etc), or repeating visas, and then announce it is only happening for a trial period of 2 months? This is not only the craziest thing yet but contradicts every other new regulation in the last 2 years.

The administration in this country is displaying every sign of active psychosis - if it was one person (and not a govt body)  coming out with all these erratic, inconsistent and hysterical regulations, he would be immediately tranquilised and led away by men in white coats.

Edited November 14, 2018 by robsamui
editing

[keithet]

Be nice if they could make a anouncment about incom affidavits for marriage and retirement exstensions. 

[jackdd]

8 minutes ago, Cereal said:

With me living in Laos and the law passed a couple of years back allowing 2 land crossing per year, I am wondering how this will affect me? Is it going back to the old system whereby I had unlimited crossings with my multi-entry B2 visa for Laos? The article is not extremely clear on that point.

If you have a passport which qualifies for a visa exempt you can do unlimited visa exempt entries at land borders to Thailand in a certain 2 month window which might start at an uncertain point of time in the future.

Edited November 14, 2018 by jackdd

[quadperfect]

Too little too late. 

 

[Sigma6]

I hope someone sends the memo to the lovely immigration staff at DMK

[rkidlad]

_{Over the last 10 years it's just got harder and harder for people to live here on a TV. As of now, it's impossible. I agreed they should have made it harder for people living here on a TV, but they also made it harder for genuine tourists. Many genuine tourists couldn't be bothered with the worry or aggro. Mate of mine working in Singapore married to a Thai got stick for visiting every few months. He was a genuine tourist coming over for a weekend and spending big money.} 

 

 

[jvs]

Bad guys out,bad guys back in?

Good news for people who would have gotten into trouble because of the no longer avaiable income letter.

Also very good news for the old vans they are taking out of service.They will be busy everyday again.

Somehow it feels like ten years ago again.

Thailand never ceases to amaze me.

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Based on a database of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, nearly 5 million foreign tourists travelled through land-border checkpoints of Thailand in 2017, up 3 per cent from the previous year.

So the restriction of limiting to only 2 land crossings per calendar year doesn't seem to have changed the border crossing figures at all?

 

And yes, I know these border hops only affect a small number of visa runners in the overall picture, but considering you were getting roughly the same number of actual tourists (as well as the runners), for it to increase by 3% is amazing.

 

Either amazing or someone has either got the data wrong or snatching at the nearest numbers available to them.

[pontious]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

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

Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the Cabinet gave the green light for the “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges” from November 15 until January 15, 2019. The Tourism Authority of Thailand will join the Finance Ministry to set additional special areas at tourism areas or department stores for tourists to facilitate convenient and quick refund of value added tax.

 

Nattaporn Jatusripitak, adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office, said that the Cabinet agreed in principle to review and offer relaxation to three types of visas with a two-month pilot period. The starting period will be determined by the Tourism and Sports Ministry after its study of the proper period and details.

In red - this is what starts tomorrow.

In orange -i think the 2 month pilot period is wrong reporting. They are going to study the proper period and the details.

[phuketrichard]

hardly seems like numbers are decreasing;

 

Quote

 

Thailand visitor arrivals in Jan-Jul 2018 up 11% to 22.6 million

Thailand welcomed visitor arrivals of 22,657,730 in January-July 2018, up by 11% over the same period of 2017, according to preliminary figures tabulated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

 

http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/2018/08/thailand-visitor-arrivals-in-jan-jul-2018-up-11-to-22-6-million/

 

[robertson468]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

Of course, what did you expect? ????

 

Everybody pay attention: These changes are only for the next two months, 15.11.2018 to 15.01.2019, this is not permanent!

And if it really starts tomorrow is not even sure

 

And I have to wonder if all IO's know about the change, as they do about the provision of funds for the Retirement Visa, such as haveing a monthly income of 65/40K per month in to your Thai Bank.  Don't hold your breath folks!

[aldriglikvid]

Guys, please help a fella out because I really don't get it. 

 

Let's say I'm on a SE Tourist Visa and regurarly exists the country every 89 days (by plan) to secure a new SE TV in a neighbouring country, and then flying back in to stay another 89 days (60 + 30). Any changes to "me" ? ????

 

I'm sorry if its straight in my face and I can't see it. 

[phuketrichard]

Quote

I agreed they should have made it harder for people living here on a TV, but they also made it harder for genuine tourists

How so? for many countries you get a FREE 30 day visa exempt,

Not same for Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar where u pay for the same thing and u can extend at any immigration for another 30 for 1,900

[pontious]

2 minutes ago, robertson468 said:

And I have to wonder if all IO's know about the change, as they do about the provision of funds for the Retirement Visa, such as haveing a monthly income of 65/40K per month in to your Thai Bank.  Don't hold your breath folks!

It does not change tomorrow - the period and details have not been decided yet

You missed my post on page 3.

[farang62]

And all these tourists have been waiting with Baited-Breath for this announcement, just waiting to confirm their ticket and reservation.

Than on to the internet to make hotel and onward reservations.

By the time this gets around the season will be over.

It is also of no real help to people who have already booked their trip.

 

[lkv]

6 minutes ago, pontious said:

It does not change tomorrow - the period and details have not been decided yet

You missed my post on page 3.

You forgot to add one thing to the previous post:

 

"THE CABINET yesterday agreed in principle..."

 

????

[natway09]

I can just see all the good tourists with money rushing down to their travel agents to change their holiday to Thailand now   ??????

[ParadiseLost]

Do they realise that by introducing the 're-entry permit' for tourist visa holders, to enable them to return without the need for a new visa, that instead of having another 60 days in Thailand, they will only have whatever remains on their existing visa:

 

Say I enter 10/12, depart 20/12 to Laos. Arrive back Thailand 25/12, permitted to stay only 45 days... A new visa would give another 60.

 

Also, if a tourist visa is now a 'double entry' does that require people to leave the country once the initial 60 days is passed?

 

Finally, will they get rid of the dumb 30 day extension and the associated queues?

Edited November 14, 2018 by ParadiseLost
Poor maths...

[canuckamuck]

Perhaps partially in response to the embassy's no longer giving letters to confirm income. There's going to be a lot of folks needing some other options for a while.

[Tradewind777]

Haha! What a joke.  By time tourists plan and book their travel, the spoils will not be there. How to be positive about these numpties?

[Easy Come Easy Go]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Wow!

 

Tourism numbers and revenues must be taking one hell of a hit to do this; it is a refutation of everything the Junta has been doing or saying for years.

 

There is a great deal more to this story; I am looking forward to finding it out.

 

 

 

I keep saying this, because my Thai gf works in tourism here, yet when I bring it up I get donks linking me to government online statistics that paint a picture that everything is hunky-dory 

[Caldera]

Waiting for the fine print and actual implementation should keep us entertained for weeks, if not months. ????

[Thailand]

Next thing you know there will be extensions of stay based on retirement for five years at 1900 baht and only having to show 100,000 baht in the bank seasoned for one week on initial application only.

 

[TaaSaparot]

Kind of resembles what happened in 1997, when they changed visa rules to boost visitor numbers.