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

[pontious]

5 hours ago, pontious said:

7 hours 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.

I posted this 5 hours ago.

[pontious]

15 minutes ago, sanemax said:

IF I get a SETV tomorrow , could I also apply for the new DETV on Friday ?

Look at what I posted above.

Edited November 14, 2018 by pontious

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, SunsetT said:

I knew the METV was doomed to failure! This is partially reverting to the previous system which offered double and triple entry tourist visas.

The METV idea was fine at first.  It would seem that the anti-farang gang got hold of it, and added the junk which made it useless for most.  Like, "Hey, let's make them fly 1/2 way across the world to get it," and "Only if they have a full-time job," (which would make it useless for most), etc.

 

Some of those rules might make sense if being sold only to people coming from low-wage countries, who might come here to work under-the-table, illegally - but just a finger in the eye to Westerners, who just go somewhere else to spend their money, where they aren't treated like a potential criminal.

 

4 hours ago, robsamui said:

The administration in this country is displaying every sign of active psychosis

It's two groups - one that wants our money, and the other that feels the presence of farangs simply isn't worth getting our money (but will tolerate a few rich ones).

 

4 hours ago, natway09 said:

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

Sure - but only the ones who could almost afford coming, but needed another $30 or so, to pull off the visit.
 

4 hours ago, Deli said:

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.

They seem to want to simultaneously drive moderate but consistent-spending long-stayers out - but, at the same time, attract hordes of poor/budget types, who have to be lured-in with cheaper visa and tax-rebate offers? 

 

It's not like many people would be coming to Thailand to buy big-ticket items to take-home, given the relatively high import-tax rates (which are not refunded) - so this "vat rebate" bit is aimed primarily at people who are really "pinching their pennies."

 

4 hours ago, keithet said:

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

Yes - but, as is now clear, they've been too busy to worry about that - while putting together this fabulous proposal to bring in visitors who need "visa help" programs, instead.

[Mike Teavee]

9 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Bad guys never left - they just went to agents.  Maybe some of the now-gone good-guys could come back - but not if this will only go on for 2 mo.

 

Seriously, did an agent steal your milk money or something, every post you make reads like a conspiracy theory & "Agents" are taking over the world... 

 

Quote

The expats who left generally have very sour attitudes about the place.

How many failed Expats do you know who have a good attitude about the place they've effectively had no choice but to leave?

 

 

Apologies if this comes across as harsh but you make some excellent factual points and then spoil them with conspiracy theories... At the end of the day, this is simply Thailand tightening up on it's existing rules... it did the same with Helmets on motorcycles (OK not enforced everywhere), Drink Driving (Ditto),  requirement to file your address & now it's doing the same with it's Extension fiduciary policies...

 

Nobody is trying to steal your milk money...

 

[lkv]

11 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

The METV idea was fine at first.  It would seem that the anti-farang gang got hold of it, and added the junk which made it useless for most.  Like, "Hey, let's make them fly 1/2 way across the world to get it," and "Only if they have a full-time job," (which would make it useless for most), etc.

Not if you're Chinese. Then you get it from your home country China.

 

Applies for Singapore and Hong Kong also. That's where they have been lobbying. METV was designed for the Asian market primarily in my opinion.

 

The fact that they mention USA and France in this particular news article is sort of a novelty. They probably remembered that's where the dollars and euros actually come from, after they had too much (or not enough), yuan.

Edited November 14, 2018 by lkv

[keysersoze276]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

More poor reporting, as usual...

 

What exactly does it mean to say you're gonna allow an "unlimited number of visa waivers per calendar year" for land border crossers/arrivals, but then also say it's only going to be for "a two-month pilot period."

 

I'm sure there's some explanation, but lord knows what it really is, based on the writing of the article.

  

Agreed.  Also announcing the "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges" from Nov 15 - Jan 15, and then saying "the two month trial start date will be determined..."  Can anyone shed some light on this?  Is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale just referring to the VAT refund part?  It sounds like they just decided to set up the new booths, so how can it start tomorrow?  And the start date to be determined?  Where did that date come from?  lol.  I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!  "The starting period will be determined by the Tourism and Sports Ministry after its study of the proper period and details."  WHat????

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Only if they have a full-time job

The job requirement for the METV does not exist in Germany, so this was most likely an invention of the embassies in other countries, whatever their reason for this was

[pontious]

2 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

Can anyone shed some light on this?  Is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale just referring to the VAT refund part?

Yes

There is no change to tourist visas at all at this present time. 

[VBF]

11 minutes ago, lkv said:

The fact that they mention USA and France in this particular news article is sort of a novelty. They probably remembered that's where the dollars and euros actually come from, after they had too much (or not enough), yuan.

Still wondering about UK though ????

Guess I'll have to be patient - maybe in a couple of weeks it'll become clearer - they might even put an announcement on the Embassy website in time.

[Mike Teavee]

6 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The job requirement for the METV does not exist in Germany, so this was most likely an invention of the embassies in other countries, whatever their reason for this was

And I (As a Brit working here) can get one in Singapore, hardly flying 1/2 way around the world... 

 

Seem to recall that Brits (Whether they work there or not) could also get them from Perth (Or 1 of the Australian Embassies) but hey, why spoil a conspiracy theory with actual facts.

 

 

[Mike Teavee]

14 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

Agreed.  Also announcing the "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges" from Nov 15 - Jan 15, and then saying "the two month trial start date will be determined..."  Can anyone shed some light on this?  Is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale just referring to the VAT refund part?  It sounds like they just decided to set up the new booths, so how can it start tomorrow?  And the start date to be determined?  Where did that date come from?  lol.  I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!  "The starting period will be determined by the Tourism and Sports Ministry after its study of the proper period and details."  WHat????

Lets count shall we... 

 

November 15 - December 15 (1)

December 15 - January 15 (1)

 

1 + 1 = 2 

 

[VBF]

5 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

And I (As a Brit working here) can get one in Singapore, hardly flying 1/2 way around the world... 

 

Seem to recall that Brits (Whether they work there or not) could also get them from Perth (Or 1 of the Australian Embassies) but hey, why spoil a conspiracy theory with actual facts.

It is true though Mike that the London Embassy requires you to show evidence of employment, which makes the METV impractical (not impossible) for a retired tourist! Not sure I want to send my PP from UK to Oz and back! 

Edited November 14, 2018 by VBF

[lkv]

15 minutes ago, VBF said:

they might even put an announcement on the Embassy website in time.

Historically, the websites of the Embassies update on average after some months, long after the promo is over.

 

So reading again the article, my understanding is this.

 

For Christmas, they would like people to spend money in Siam Paragon. In fact, I was wandering through Gourmet Market yesterday, and they were playing the announcement about the VAT refund every 5 minutes.

 

So, as an extra help to spend more money in the mall, you would get some limited visa benefit. "As part of a touristic package". In principle.

 

????

 

On a different note, it's full of Christmas gifts already starting November 10, and I am expecting the Christmas trees to pop up before month's end.

Edited November 14, 2018 by lkv

[Mike Teavee]

15 minutes ago, VBF said:

It is true though Mike that the London Embassy requires you to show evidence of employment, which makes the METV impractical (not impossible) for a retired tourist! Not sure I want to send my PP from UK to Oz and back! 

I thought the same at 1st, but since the crack down on "Visa Runners"  & with me flying in 2-3 times a month I can see the value in getting one.

 

In the end I hit 50 so got a Non-O (From Penang), I really shouldn't need it as I am a genuine tourist who just loves to visit the place & my longest stay (in over 50 visits) was 28 days, (usually it's 3-5 days) but with Immigration clamping down on "Visa Runners" I felt like I had to get something.

 

If I was a couple of years younger I would have got the METV from Singapore or bit the bullet & got the Thai Elite Visa (Very tempting for the Express immigration privileges alone) 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mike Teavee

[keysersoze276]

12 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Lets count shall we... 

 

November 15 - December 15 (1)

December 15 - January 15 (1)

 

1 + 1 = 2 

 

Yeah, I can count two months.  What does that time period include?  It just said it is approved now and the dates are to be determined.  Where did these dates come from then?

 

[jackdd]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

Very tempting for the Express immigration privileges alone

You can buy these privileges for about 1000thb per visit or about 20k per year for a flatrate

[JackThompson]

46 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

 

Quote

The expats who left generally have very sour attitudes about the place.

How many failed Expats do you know who have a good attitude about the place they've effectively had no choice but to leave?

They are not "failed expats" - they just don't spend their money in Thailand, any more.  To my knowledge, such persons never "had no choice but to leave" any other destinations I or they ever stayed - except maybe for a couple hours to get a new entry. 

 

48 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Seriously, did an agent steal your milk money or something, every post you make reads like a conspiracy theory & "Agents" are taking over the world... 

No, but an immigration-office attempted to force me to an agent for 2 services I fully qualified for honestly.  That's the only reason why I use a Non-O "Visa" from a consulate now.  Add that to the similar reports I have read from others, and ask "Qui Bono" - and it's pretty clear what the game is all about.  

 

I would not care about others using agents, except that denial of honest-service is the result of that greed of those benefiting from that system.  It's hardly a "conspiracy," since "no money" agent-facilitated extensions are advertised in public, while thousands of expats with valid/honest incomes now have no clear way to get their next extension.

[Mike Teavee]

17 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You can buy these privileges for about 1000thb per visit or about 20k per year for a flatrate

True so let's do the maths... 

• 1200 (It is 1200) x 2  (return) = 2,400
• Lounge (Departure only) = approx s$40 = 1,000
• = 3,400 * 2.5 (average) x 12 (months) = 102,000

 

Pretty neutral as far as the Thai Elite 5 Year costs are concerned, however:-

• TE comes with 24 transfers each year worth (say) 400 THB a pop (9,600)
• Golf, Spa, etc... benefits (Not interested so no idea what they'd be worth)
• If you go for the 1Million 20 year Visa it 1/2 the annual cost 

 

It's the 2-3 hour (round trip) immigration time that's making me consider this at the moment, but knowing that I'll only be doing this for another 3-6 months is making me hold fire... 

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mike Teavee

[quandow]

8 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

back to border runs folks

That was my initial thought. Forget my "retirement visa" and go back to visa runs?

[JackThompson]

54 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The job requirement for the METV does not exist in Germany, so this was most likely an invention of the embassies in other countries, whatever their reason for this was

It was in the published docs when it was first announced,if memory serves, but appears the embassy in Germany is skipping it.  This seems to be a rare exception, based on reports.

 

46 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Seem to recall that Brits (Whether they work there or not) could also get them from Perth (Or 1 of the Australian Embassies) but hey, why spoil a conspiracy theory with actual facts.

For awhile they could - and from any honorary consulate.  Some Americans did also, but I do not think this is still the case.  One person reported they had reneged on the wording that indicated the visa obtained to enter Austraila was good enough for the "residency" requirement; I think that was a fairly recent report from Sydney (not Perth), though.

 

Point is, they should be available in Laos, or where ever 2x entry TR Visas were available.  If the bank-doc needed to be transmitted to the home-country for verification and a fee-increase - fine.  No sense sending the "human" all that way and back.

Edited November 14, 2018 by JackThompson

[Mike Teavee]

16 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

They are not "failed expats" - they just don't spend their money in Thailand, any more.  To my knowledge, such persons never "had no choice but to leave" any other destinations I or they ever stayed - except maybe for a couple hours to get a new entry. 

 

They no longer live in the place where they were an Expat so have failed to be an Expat there (I'm not criticizing here, I'll be doing the same when I leave Singapore), It's not about the money, it's a simple fact that people tend to have a more negative view of a place they've left behind (simple confirmation bias)

 

Quote

It's hardly a "conspiracy," since "no money" agent-facilitated extensions are advertised in public, while thousands of expats with valid/honest incomes now have no clear way to get their next extension.

Sorry for your experience & I would also tell them to fro (Fck Right Off) if I came across the same.

 

But 1 swallow does not a summer make... I genuinely believe most of the guys you'll ever meet are just doing their jobs & going home to their families, so feel that it's wrong to cast them all (again I believe the majority here) with the same brush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mike Teavee

[pontious]

27 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

Yeah, I can count two months.  What does that time period include?  It just said it is approved now and the dates are to be determined.  Where did these dates come from then?

 

It does not say it is approved now. Nothing has changed yet. No details have been announced - Suggest you read the OP carefully - not just the headline.

[JackThompson]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

I genuinely believe most of the guys you'll ever meet are just doing their jobs & going home to their families, so feel it's it's wrong to cast them all (again I believe the majority here) with the same brush.

We agree on that part.  I have met some decent IOs - even friendly ones at more remote checkpoints.  I feel for honest people trying to do that job - especially with the "rules" being poorly defined - how to know if you are doing what is expected?  The "front line" guys are following orders of whatever supervisor-chain - and only a few at that level seem to "get off" on shafting us.

[ericthai]

6 hours ago, TaaSaparot said:

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

I dont recall any changes in 97' and dont think it was needed. It was so easy to get a visa, or enter on visa exempt, want to stay longer an agent would take your passport to the boarder. Immigration would suggest you just overstay if you asked for an extension. Overstay and the IO would laugh about it. 

[lkv]

20 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

They no longer live in the place where they were an Expat so have failed to be an Expat there (I'm not criticizing here, I'll be doing the same when I leave Singapore), It's not about the money, it's a simple fact that people tend to have a more negative view of a place they've left behind (simple confirmation bias)

Failed can be a tricky word to use in this context.

 

As far as the bias, you are right, people will always try to reassure themselves that they have made the right decision.

 

But it's not only bias. Some people like myself are mentally tired and kind of had enough, I am still young and want to live a happy and relaxed life. 

 

Right now unfortunately, Thailand is not ticking the same boxes as it did.

 

Whether I have failed or not being an expat in Thailand, I will likely not care after I've left. If I do and I miss it so much I can always come back.

 

So a change will likely come next year. ????

Edited November 14, 2018 by lkv

[Mike Teavee]

6 minutes ago, lkv said:

Failed can be a tricky word to use in this context.

 

As far as the bias, you are right, people will always try to reassure themselves that they have made the right decision.

 

But it's not only bias. Some people like myself are mentally tired and kind of had enough, I am still young and want to live a happy and relaxed life. 

 

Completely agree, my use of the word "Failed" was wrong, what I was trying to say was it's human nature to see our previous situations in a negative light & new ones more positive (Rose Tinted spectacles) - That's what I was implying with Confirmation Bias - Find me a guy who moved to Cambodia of his own free will who will admit how his life is better there than in Thailand!?!

 

I don't need to tell you how I viewed living in Singapore after 6 months in Karachi (Lovely place by the way) but now I'm moving to Thailand I'm finding all the negative things about the place...

 

Far too many Indians for 1, I didn't have that problem in Karachi! (For the Hard of Humour, that was supposed to be a Joke!)...

 

 

[TaaSaparot]

22 minutes ago, ericthai said:

I dont recall any changes in 97' and dont think it was needed. It was so easy to get a visa, or enter on visa exempt, want to stay longer an agent would take your passport to the boarder. Immigration would suggest you just overstay if you asked for an extension. Overstay and the IO would laugh about it. 

But even still, what I posted was my experience.

[lkv]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

Find me a guy who moved to Cambodia of his own free will who will admit how his life is better there than in Thailand!?

I'm considering Taipei.

[Mike Teavee]

3 minutes ago, lkv said:

I'm considering Taipei.

I've never visited but would love to, what's the Visa situation like there?

 

 

[lkv]

7 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I've never visited but would love to, what's the Visa situation like there?

 

 

90 days exempt. Similar with Malaysia, you can push it according to reports.

 

Plus, for people willing to open a company and invest some money locally, they have some preferential "digital nomad" visa options.

Edited November 14, 2018 by lkv