Fast-entry online visa system for 20 nations launched at Thai airports

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, JeffreyO said:

What a strange list of nations they've selected...

Not a new list. Same list that has existed for visas on arrival for some time now.

See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/contents/filemanager/VISA/Visa on Arrival/VOA_แก้ไข 15-03-61.pdf

[ToddinChonburi]

Such a Wonderful inability to solve problems.

[dallen52]

16 hours ago, BritTim said:

I think the real problem was that it did not explain the benefits of the proposal to the senior officials who would need to push for its implementation. The incentives should preferably be in a form where, although highly lucrative, they are not easily traced in any corruption investigation by political enemies.

This was possibly before the no tips rulings.

So they stood to lose money if they removed the human (I/O) contact. 

[Proboscis]

18 hours ago, taichiplanet said:

so visa in one minute but still lined up at "special" counters for 2 hours.

 

Interesting list of countries it is available to, and only 16 on the website so far on the selection screen though it shows 20 when you look at the html.

 

Andorran, Bhutanese, Bulgaria, Chinese, Cyprus, Ethiopian, Fijian, Indian, Kazakh,
Latvia, Lithuania, Maldivian, Mauritian, Papua New Guinean, Romania, Sammarinese,
Saudi Arabian, Taiwanese, Ukrainian, Uzbek

 

 

These are the countries where you need a visa and cannot get visa waiver

[remorhaz]

What?  No Kiribaiti or Micronesia exemptions?  What about other stalwarts of tourism like Samoa or the Republic of Sea Land.  I'll admit they've covered 1/3 to 1/2 of the worlds population with China and India but nothing from the West other than Andorra?  

[spidermike007]

Ukrainian, Andorran, Fujian, Kazakh, Papuan and Saudi. Who made up this list? US, and all the rest of Europe is not on the list. Just another step in the continued deterioration of the tourist market here. My heart goes out to the Thai people. The burden this administration is imposing on these people is a horrible thing to witness. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

The problem for TAT is far more serious than making a few tweaks here and there will cure. The bottom line is that they have carelessly killed the goose that laid the golden egg: the Chinese market is fickle at best, and their tourists were always likely to fall out of their love affair with Thailand to some extent and at some point. But this was hastened by carelessness and even arrogance on the part of the TAT and the Thai tourist industry in general. 

Chinese tourists by and large do as they are told by their government. In addition, when a group of Chinese drown and safety is shown clearly to be compromised, the news spreads like wildfire on Chinese language social media, which is carefully monitored and controlled by organs of state.

Unfortunately for Thailand, their biggest tourist market horses have bolted, and the chances of luring them back to the stable en masse are slim. That, coupled with the economic situation, may mean that the best days of Chinese tourism in Thailand have already passed. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by PerkinsCuthbert

[PerkinsCuthbert]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Ukrainian, Andorran, Fujian, Kazakh, Papuan and Saudi. Who made up this list? US, and all the rest of Europe is not on the list. Just another step in the continued deterioration of the tourist market here. My heart goes out to the Thai people. The burden this administration is imposing on these people is a horrible thing to witness. 

It's all about reciprocity.

[sanemax]

5 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Ukrainian, Andorran, Fujian, Kazakh, Papuan and Saudi. Who made up this list? US, and all the rest of Europe is not on the list. Just another step in the continued deterioration of the tourist market here. My heart goes out to the Thai people. The burden this administration is imposing on these people is a horrible thing to witness. 

U.S and the rest of Europe can already get free visa exempt stamps at airports

[ezzra]

Yeah that's is very nice of BJ, what would be much nicer, a list of 20 countries of which the passports holders of said countries will not have to get a re entry visa and save us time, money and grief...

[watcharacters]

28 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

Don't believe me?  Then, you need to get out more instead of spending all day on Thai Visa, making uneducated comments.

 

 

Please, Moi24,   you show your ignorance now.

 

Yes I've encountered Chinese many times in Thailand and there have been both good and not so good experiences.

 

If i go to a buffet,  whether  in Thailand  or in my home country,  I choose to be there at the time the restaurant opens and not after others have used whatever manners they use.  Sometimes they appear to have  no manners whatsoever. 

 

I've seen Westerns use as  horrible manners as Chinese  so I'd rather not single out Chinese. 

 

A while back I went to a buffet with a fellow countryman who upon not finding a ladle in the nice restaurant, he just scooped out rice from a bowl with his unwashed fingers.   Upon seeing this, the restaurant manager was pretty unhappy with him but it went  right over the head of  my meal partner.   He doesn't have an issue with crude or primitive.   He probably never learned manners from his parents or anyone else.

 

He encourages it do whatever you want.   To each his own. 

 

I may not like what someone else does, but in that case , I'll simply try to not  be around them.

 

Sorry you are so upset and unhappy.

 

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

U.S and the rest of Europe can already get free visa exempt stamps at airports

That was not my point. We do not qualify for online visas, nor fast track. We wait in the lines, as do the rest of the cattle. 

[connda]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

He said the system is to be targeted at citizens of Taiwan and 20 countries.

And those other 20 Lucky Countries tagged for expedited service are......

[shy coconut]

18 hours ago, the guest said:

Yeah I can see how this will really effect the tourists figures. 

 

 

Years ago I submitted a proposal to introduce a digital visa gateway for Thailand to make it easier for tourists and alike to come to Thailand. The proposal was viable and cost effective. Needless-to-say, the response I got was ZERO !

 

Says it all about the country, you try and do something constructive but it falls on deaf ears. No doubt if I was a Thai it would be a completely different matter !

Who did you submit your proposal to, and did they ask for it?

[watcharacters]

30 minutes ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

The problem for TAT is far more serious than making a few tweaks here and there will cure. The bottom line is that they have carelessly killed the goose that laid the golden egg: the Chinese market is fickle at best, and their tourists were always likely to fall out of their love affair with Thailand to some extent and at some point. But this was hastened by carelessness and even arrogance on the part of the TAT and the Thai tourist industry in general. 

Chinese tourists by and large do as they are told by their government. In addition, when a group of Chinese drown and safety is shown clearly to be compromised, the news spreads like wildfire on Chinese language social media, which is carefully monitored and controlled by organs of state.

Unfortunately for Thailand, their biggest tourist market horses have bolted, and the chances of luring them back to the stable en masse are slim. That, coupled with the economic situation, may mean that the best days of Chinese tourism in Thailand have already passed. 

 

The Chinese will  likely not lose their love for Thailand.    

 

Chinese own much of Thailand already.

 

 

[Pattaya28]

Amazing how 2000 baht changes peoples idea of a holiday destination. 

And which countries ??

The countries with low quality tourists.

[thinknirmal]

Not sure if we really want the Taiwanese or it's just there (as a territory of China) to woo the Chinese. Talk about not having a spine.

[Kittycat66]

If i would ever visit Thailand i would only stay less than 30 days. Its nice place to visit but not stay because my home is in America. Plus Thailand is s different climate than where i live.

[Old Croc]

If the entire population of San Marino took up this generous, visa free offer to visit over the high season, the 33,000 extra tourists would hardly register in the stats. 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2018 by Old Croc

[matador007]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is the same list of counties eligible for normal visa on arrival applications at an airport and at some border crossings.

From the announcement about free visas on arrival on immigration website.

 

 

I count 15 nations on dropdown on main website and application form.

I'm not seeing Bulgaria, or Romania on the dropdown.  So not sure whats up with the discrepency.

Edit: Ok I see https://www.evisathailand.com/21counters.php -- says soon.

Edited November 22, 2018 by matador007
just noticed "soon"

[marqus12]

Vietnam is nice ... Thailand is getting stranger from year to year.
Some old sad spirits have taken over this country

[Suradit69]

21 hours ago, darksidedog said:

WOW! They really must be desperate to get the Chinese back. Tourism numbers are obviously way, way worse than the lies TAT has been giving out.

This seems to be about Visas on Arrival, which many posters on Thai Visa, journalists, and other confuse with visa exempt entry or tourists visas.

 

If that's what they really mean, the Visa On Arrival is only available to a limited list of countries. I don't think it's available to Chinese.

 

Of course many people are loose and free with terminology .... visas, extensions, visa exempt entries ... everything seems to be called a visa by the semantically-challenged.

[sawadee1947]

Hmmh, 20 Countries, wow. What Countries? Not named here. 

But I suppose there are countries As Bahrain or Turkmenistan..... And now TAT will welcome hords of new quality tourists...... 555

[DrPhibes]

Smoke screen to allow Chinese, Taiwan, and India to get the real benefit, the rest are inconsequencial and are there to not make it look like they are picking favorites.  Still snubbing the West no matter how you slice it.

[Searat7]

I just hope this does not mean less desks at airport for regular Foreigners. I flew into Don Muang early Monday evening and ended up in an area which was mostly for Chinese with only 2 desks open for foreigners and I can tell you that the processing times have not changed at all.  Best to avoid the first area and go to the second one I think. Or better yet avoid Don Muang- have much better luck at the main airport. 

[Redline]

Very high quality list of countries ????

[amse]

To little, to late, tourist have already made up their mind for a holiday this year.

[natway09]

If this reduces the ques at immigration on arrival      Yippee

[joecoolfrog]

23 hours ago, the guest said:

Yeah I can see how this will really effect the tourists figures. 

 

 

Years ago I submitted a proposal to introduce a digital visa gateway for Thailand to make it easier for tourists and alike to come to Thailand. The proposal was viable and cost effective. Needless-to-say, the response I got was ZERO !

 

Says it all about the country, you try and do something constructive but it falls on deaf ears. No doubt if I was a Thai it would be a completely different matter !

Was the proposal enclosed in a large brown envelope ?

[Jen65]

I am pretty pissed off with all this free visa / fast entry process being given to tourists !   I am resident here and have to keep minimum 800,000 baht in the bank to keep my residency visa valid but I still have to queue with all the rest - no special treatment for residents !!

Seems like I'm a third class citizen here .