Free visa on arrival for twenty countries likely extended until July

 

Picture: Bangkok Biz News

 

The free visa on arrival system that benefits twenty countries will likely be extended from the end of April for three more months. 

 

Immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn told government ministers that the scheme - already extended once - has been so successful in promoting tourism that it should continue for the time being. 

 

It waives charges of 2,000 baht for Chinese nationals among others. 

 

Surachate was in talks with DPM Somkid Jatusripitak with the proposals expected to be ratified by PM Prayut Chan-ocha. 

 

Bangkok Biz News reported that tourists are continuing to flood into Thailand with the new scheme helping.

 

Source: Bangkok Biz News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-04-02

so they are only extending the waivering of the chinese 2,000 baht .....  correct ?

The VOA is here to stay .... for now.  ?

Tourist related business in Hua Hin appears to have dropped by around 50% since about 2 weeks ago according to a few people I know.

 

This comes from hotels, restaurants and bars frequented by tourists.

 

Of course it's the start of the low season now so kind of expected but a little earlier when compared to previous years.

 

10 month low season now.

Edited April 2, 20197 yr by ukrules

Waiving visa fees seems to work for Vietnam.  Maybe BJ can draw inspiration from its neighbour?

Nobody cares. Entering hot season and it's already proving to be just that. Who wants to come and deal with the scorching heat nearly same money in high season. This freebie is laughable but it's all they know how to do. Takes no effort.

 

Other than Chinese the whole world is freaked out to come here now. Once that mindset really takes hold, that people can randomly turned out your tourism industry will be permanently damaged. I give you Indonesia. Same hard line. Outside Bali, it's done. Even Bali suffers. Thailand could end up exactly like Indonesia. All that want to come and see have done so. Long stay entirely discouraged. India has also shot itself in the foot (no surprise there). Lost all it's backpackers.

 

Good luck Thailand

8 minutes ago, ozmeldo said:

Nobody cares. Entering hot season and it's already proving to be just that. Who wants to come and deal with the scorching heat nearly same money in high season. This freebie is laughable but it's all they know how to do. Takes no effort.

 

Other than Chinese the whole world is freaked out to come here now. Once that mindset really takes hold, that people can randomly turned out your tourism industry will be permanently damaged. I give you Indonesia. Same hard line. Outside Bali, it's done. Even Bali suffers. Thailand could end up exactly like Indonesia. All that want to come and see have done so. Long stay entirely discouraged. India has also shot itself in the foot (no surprise there). Lost all it's backpackers.

 

Good luck Thailand

Where are you getting these figures that tourism is in decline in Thailand, Indonesia and India. Any statistics show a year on year growth. 

What people are "freaked out to come here now"?

Maybe give tourists N95 mask and a free gift card to nearest hospital for any damage caused by smog and pollution

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

so they are only extending the waivering of the chinese 2,000 baht .....  correct ?

No, "among others". 20 nations.

4 hours ago, steven100 said:

The VOA is here to stay .... for now.  ?

Yes, it's only the fee that is waived. Still the nationals of the 20 countries have to apply for visa on arrival at the airport. None of them gets a visa exempt entry.

Edited April 2, 20197 yr by KhunBENQ

16 minutes ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

But why should i pay £130 for a tourist Visa  now it £150 for them to come free

 

U don't pay anything, stop talking rubbish. 

 

They aren't talking about setv visas, they are talking about on arrival visas. A visa that you don't even need as most of us are visa exempt. 

Edited April 2, 20197 yr by ThomasThBKK

they could announce further good news:

 

just get rid of all this nonsense limit 2 times per year, let people apply visa at Thai Embassy without lenglthy booking,etc . Every Immigration use a different basis, etc. You can make it straight and easy and produce good news at the same time. That is needed. 

 

I dont pay for a tourist Visa of £130 in UK so when I get next 1 why is it £150 so why am my talking rubbish mrs

Like the way you've twinned this with the tourist-free Pattaya beaches.

chiangmai is quiet now sonkran is soon then the low season will be with everyone.free visa or not

Is Indonesia now turning people away at random as well, after they have been there once or twice? 

The london embassy website says single entry 60 days is £30. The £150 Is for a METV, valid for six months. You dont pay anything for a 30 day stay

6 hours ago, steven100 said:

so they are only extending the waivering of the chinese 2,000 baht .....  correct ?

The VOA is here to stay .... for now.  ?

It says Chinese and others.

15 minutes ago, Essecola said:

Is Indonesia now turning people away at random as well, after they have been there once or twice? 

yes .... seems travelers cannot continue return visits as before.

1 hour ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

But why should i pay £130 for a tourist Visa  now it £150 for them to come free

 

...them...

1 hour ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

But why should i pay £130 for a tourist Visa  now it £150 for them to come free

 

The same METV in china costs 1200 RMB, around 140 pound. At the moment westerners and Chinese who arrive without a visa both pay nothing, usually Chinese pay 2,000 baht on arrival.

 

1 hour ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

But why should i pay £130 for a tourist Visa  now it £150 for them to come free

 

I believe a visa on arrival is good for a stay of 15 days and not extendable.

 

you, on the other hand, can get a free visa exempt entry for 30 days and easily extend it for 30  additional days.

 

A vOA arrival is not equivalent to a SETV for a 60 day stay extendable for  a total 90 day stay.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 2, 20197 yr by Suradit69

6 minutes ago, steven100 said:

yes .... seems travelers cannot continue return visits as before.

for godsake then where are people allowed to go if thailand is doing the same. and no, I dont want to go to "vietnam" or cambodia or the philippines(sir)

1 hour ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

But why should i pay £130 for a tourist Visa  now it £150 for them to come free

You get 30 days for free.

VoA is 15 days and needs joining another queue for the visa before checkpoint.

 

Quote

pay £130 for a tourist Visa 

A single entry tourist visa (60 days) cost £30.

Or what do you compare?

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/contents/filemanager/document/Visa announcement.pdf

5 minutes ago, Essecola said:

for godsake then where are people allowed to go if thailand is doing the same. and no, I dont want to go to "vietnam" or cambodia or the philippines(sir)

Malaysia, Laos, Malta, Vanautu, Norfolk island, China, Japan, Korea.

4 hours ago, JimSaints said:

Maybe give tourists N95 mask and a free gift card to nearest hospital for any damage caused by smog and pollution

right, for a lung transplant????

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Malaysia, Laos, Malta, Vanautu, Norfolk island, China, Japan, Korea.

Malaysia turns u away if u repeat visit. Japan and Korea are expensive, freezing more than half the year, and also turn away repeat arrivals. I have no place to go in my country. Everything was fine here until these new rules. Looks like the choice is going to be overstay.

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

so they are only extending the waivering of the chinese 2,000 baht .....  correct ?

The VOA is here to stay .... for now.  ?

Nope, Chinese "among others" ...

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It waives charges of 2,000 baht for Chinese nationals among others. 

Thailand welcomes these zero-dollar tourists, and now, gives them free entry.  While at the other end of the rainbow, expats, who spend a minimum of 800,000 Baht per year, are being used to prop-up the banking system.

 

Doesn't seem fair to me.  But, I'm just an expat, mug enough to put-up with it.

6 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

Nobody cares. Entering hot season and it's already proving to be just that. Who wants to come and deal with the scorching heat nearly same money in high season. This freebie is laughable but it's all they know how to do. Takes no effort.

 

Other than Chinese the whole world is freaked out to come here now. Once that mindset really takes hold, that people can randomly turned out your tourism industry will be permanently damaged. I give you Indonesia. Same hard line. Outside Bali, it's done. Even Bali suffers. Thailand could end up exactly like Indonesia. All that want to come and see have done so. Long stay entirely discouraged. India has also shot itself in the foot (no surprise there). Lost all it's backpackers.

 

Good luck Thailand

adding to that, Thailand foreigners are being chased and driven out more aggressively than ever before with no end in sight is NOT helping.  LOS no more. Keep it up Thailand, great job morons!

7 hours ago, ukrules said:

Tourist related business in Hua Hin appears to have dropped by around 50% since about 2 weeks ago according to a few people I know.

 

This comes from hotels, restaurants and bars frequented by tourists.

 

Of course it's the start of the low season now so kind of expected but a little earlier when compared to previous years.

 

10 month low season now.

You don’t know me but I’m here right now. Funny that side street off the main rd ( where the Hilton is) with bars was very crowded last night. My friend and I both commented on it. The restaurants on the main road were very full about 9/10 pm as well. The Marriott had no Jr Suites or regular suites last night either. The pool area is packed now and yesterday. So there are people here in Hua Hin now and they spend a lot more than I see in Pattaya for sure. I also notice more young people but maybe they are visiting their  grand parents. There were probably 100+ people kiting on the beach as well yesterday. The hotel also mentioned they are quite filled for Songkran too.