Taiwanese travel agents take aim at Thailand’s ‘humiliating’ new visa requirements

[webfact]

Taiwanese travel agents take aim at Thailand’s ‘humiliating’ new visa requirements

Lawrence Chung  

 

Taiwanese tourists will need to provide proof of funds if they are to visit Thai attractions such as Bangkok’s Wat Saket temple, also known as Golden Mount. Photo: AFP

 

- They argue the island should negotiate less-demanding terms with Thailand, whose citizens are allowed visa-free entry to Taiwan

- Taipei government has tried to attract visitors from Southeast Asia amid drop in number of mainland Chinese tourists

 

Taiwan’s travel agents have accused President  Tsai Ing-wen’s government of allowing the island to be humiliated by failing to demand reciprocal visa-free treatment from Thailand.Their complaints came after Thailand introduced stricter visa requirements on Monday for individual visitors from Taiwan, including submission of financial statements, which they said was demeaning for Taiwanese customers.

 

“This is really humiliating, just like some developed countries in the West that require visitors from the Third World or poorer countries to provide financial statements out of concerns that those visitors might end up becoming illegal immigrants,” Hsiao Po-jen, president of Taiwan’s Travel Agent Association, said.

 

Self-ruled Taiwan is among 18 jurisdictions whose citizens are affected by the new visa requirements to enter Thailand. Individual travellers from Taiwan must provide details of their finances to obtain a tourist visa, complete a visa application and pay online before booking an appointment in Taipei to submit their passport, along with proof of onward travel and accommodation.

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3040431/taiwanese-travel-agents-bemoan-thailands-humiliating-new-visa

 

-- South China Morning Post 2019-12-04

[canthai55]

Quit Whining. Same as Canada for years ...

From the OP ...

Individual travellers from Taiwan must provide details of their finances to obtain a tourist visa, complete a visa application and pay online before booking an appointment in Taipei to submit their passport, along with proof of onward travel and accommodation.

[Pravda]

Quote

Wang also claimed that the arrangements for Thai visitors had created an illegal prostitution problem in Taiwan because some Thai women were travelling there to work in the sex trade.

 

So, I'm on this Tinder date with a 22 year old and she flat out tells me she is doing massages in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and some other visa free countries I forgot about. She tells me she was already arrested in Japan and deported, but no problem there are still so many countries to make money because Thailand pay is very terrible when it comes to prostitution.

 

I let her pay for lunch and was on my way.

[JAG]

I wonder whether the other 17 "jurisdictions" include Hong Kong and Macau? It would be interesting to know where the idea to make life that bit more difficult for the people of Taiwan came from?

[Pravda]

9 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Quit Whining. Same as Canada for years ...

From the OP ...

Individual travellers from Taiwan must provide details of their finances to obtain a tourist visa, complete a visa application and pay online before booking an appointment in Taipei to submit their passport, along with proof of onward travel and accommodation.

 

Lol, are you kidding me?

 

Canada actually has jobs on offer, real non slavery wages and free world class healthcare. 

 

I am in Toronto right now and have 27 year old guys who chauffeur me with Uber and Lyft saying they make up to 500 bucks a day working part time.

 

Same in Canada....get out rofl

[realfunster]

Seems odd as Taiwan is a medium/high GDP country and visa restrictions are normally based on security or economic risks.

Both seem somewhat unlikely in this case. With a population of >20 million, a reasonable size and quality market for TAT.

Mind you, would probably <deleted> off the Chinese if Taiwan got a better visa status.

[yellowboat]

Boycott.   If it hits the news world wide, the current Thai government faster than a dog wanting steak from the dinner table.  Boycott.  Just don't go there. 

[realfunster]

18 minutes ago, JAG said:

I wonder whether the other 17 "jurisdictions" include Hong Kong and Macau? It would be interesting to know where the idea to make life that bit more difficult for the people of Taiwan came from?

 

I checked, Hong Kong & Macau are 30 day visa on arrival, same as EU etc.

[SteveK]

5 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Mind you, would probably <deleted> off the Chinese if Taiwan got a better visa status.

That's got to be the main issue here.

[hansnl]

38 minutes ago, JAG said:

I wonder whether the other 17 "jurisdictions" include Hong Kong and Macau? It would be interesting to know where the idea to make life that bit more difficult for the people of Taiwan came from?

It is also quite interesting to wonder why Thailand is so busy in the immigration business, that is where are the ideas coming from?

 

[toolpush]

55 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

Lol, are you kidding me?

 

Canada actually has jobs on offer, real non slavery wages and free world class healthcare. 

 

I am in Toronto right now and have 27 year old guys who chauffeur me with Uber and Lyft saying they make up to 500 bucks a day working part time.

 

Same in Canada....get out rofl

LOL, are you kidding me? Free healthcare? Let me enlighten you: there is no such thing as free anything. Hardworking Canadian taxpayers pay for that "free" healthcare. And: check out the waiting list for any kind of specialist care......

[RichardColeman]

 

59 minutes ago, JAG said:

It would be interesting to know where the idea to make life that bit more difficult for the people of Taiwan came from?

Here's a clue

[leeneeds]

NO favour's shown here for the mainly Buddhist religion of the taiwanese,

oh that's right they are really Chinese who appose the communist party on the mainland. 

No Hong kong influence allowed in.

[chainarong]

1 hour ago, canthai55 said:

Quit Whining. Same as Canada for years ...

From the OP ...

Individual travellers from Taiwan must provide details of their finances to obtain a tourist visa, complete a visa application and pay online before booking an appointment in Taipei to submit their passport, along with proof of onward travel and accommodation.

Same for Australia .

[Pravda]

47 minutes ago, toolpush said:

LOL, are you kidding me? Free healthcare? Let me enlighten you: there is no such thing as free anything. Hardworking Canadian taxpayers pay for that "free" healthcare. And: check out the waiting list for any kind of specialist care......

 

Lol... Are you kidding me x3

 

Next time you need a cancer treatment I'm sure you'll stay in Thailand instead of going back to mother Canada to receive a multi million treatment free of charge. 

 

Or will you be a man and die a slow and painful death in Thailand just to prove your point? 

 

Get out rotflmao

[trigpoint]

Same in the UK for tourist visa but the biggest problem is the visa has to applied on line and is almost impossible to get the application completed. 

[maddermax]

This is Thailand kowtowing to the PRC Government.

[Classic Ray]

The complaint is not that Taiwanese have to show finances etc for a tourist visa, as most countries need to do this. It is that they are not on the list of visa-exempt countries which allow 30 days entry to Thailand for tourism without a visa. Most Western and other developed countries are on this list.see below

 

64 Countries allowed to enter Thailand under the VISA EXEMPTION RULE:

1. Andorra
2. Argentina (90 days)
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Bahrain
6. Belgium
7. Brazil (30 days and 90 days)
8. Brunei
9. Cambodia (14 days only)
10. Canada
11. Chile (90 days)
12. Czech Republic
13. Denmark
14. Estonia
15. Finland
16. France
17. Germany
18. Greece
19. Hong Kong
20. Hungary
21. Iceland
22. Indonesia
23. Ireland
24. Israel
25. Italy
26. Japan
27. Korea (30 days and 90 days)
28. Kuwait
29. Laos
30. Latvia
31. Liechtenstein
32. Lithuania
33. Luxembourg
34. Macau
35. Malaysia
36. Maldives
37. Mauritius
38. Myanmar (14 days only)
39. Monaco
40. Mongolia
41. Netherlands
42. New Zealand
43. Norway
44. Oman
45. Peru (30 days and 90 days)
46. Philippines
47. Poland
48. Portugal
49. Qatar
50. Russia
51. San Marino
52. Singapore
53. Slovak Republic
54. Slovenia
55. South Africa
56. Spain
57. Sweden
58. Switzerland
59. Turkey
60. Ukraine
61. United Arab Emirates
62. United Kingdom
63. United States
64. Vietnam

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

So, I'm on this Tinder date with a 22 year old and she flat out tells me she is doing massages in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and some other visa free countries I forgot about. She tells me she was already arrested in Japan and deported, but no problem there are still so many countries to make money because Thailand pay is very terrible when it comes to prostitution.

 

I let her pay for lunch and was on my way.

But you passed on all that experience!

[spidermike007]

Thailand visa policy is inane. This administration is totally without merit, honor, intelligence, vision or competence. They are literally skinning the golden goose of tourism alive. 

[SuwadeeS]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Boycott.   If it hits the news world wide, the current Thai government faster than a dog wanting steak from the dinner table.  Boycott.  Just don't go there. 

Absolutely agree. A boycott from many countries around the world is the best and only solution to wake up the government.

[webfact]

Thai visa rules are not only for Taiwan: MOFA

By Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

 

TECHNOLOGY:The new rules also apply to holders of British, Chinese and French passports, while Taiwan was included due to its IT prowess, it said

 

Thailand’s new requirements for electronic visas do not specifically target Taiwanese, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, after Bangkok’s new rules sparked complaints.

 

The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei on Nov. 12 announced that the new electronic visa application and payment policy would take effect on Saturday.

 

Applicants are required to present identification documents and financial statements, and make an appointment with the office to submit their passports in person, the rules say.

 

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus on Monday at a news conference in Taipei urged the ministry to issue a protest to Thailand over the policy.

 

Visa application rules in the two nations are not reciprocal and President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) New Southbound Policy has failed, the caucus said.

 

Full story: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/12/04/2003726940

 

-- TEIPEI TIMES 2019-12-04

[Bangkok Barry]

21 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand visa policy is inane. This administration is totally without merit, honor, intelligence, vision or competence. They are literally skinning the golden goose of tourism alive. 

 

Perhaps the Taiwanese will go to other countries in the region instead. Like so many others are choosing to do as Thailand continues to make life more difficult for those who want to come and spend their money. I really think that Thais have no idea at all that they are in a competitive market. After all, they have been brainwashed from birth to believe their country is the best place on Earth so why would anyone want to go anywhere else.

[michaellee]

3 hours ago, realfunster said:

 

I checked, Hong Kong & Macau are 30 day visa on arrival, same as EU etc.

Yes. Been to HK with my gf 30 days free visa but very strict ask lots of questions and onward ticket. I’m HK chinese from Canada they stopped us at the gate when we arrived, after showing the Immigration officer our tickets and spoke cantonese with him he let us through

[dpcjsr]

Am I the only one to smell the stink of Chinese influence here?

[strawpanda]

The Taiwanese are so reliable and trustworthy that they don't need a visa to visit the UK!

[peter14]

same for all  couturiers  visa to Thailand are humiliating 

[Burma Bill]

Easy solution -  get all Thai visitors to show proof of funds when they enter Taiwan!!

[Stevemercer]

There were 700,000 tourists from Taiwan to Thailand in 2018, an increase of 26% on the previous year. The increase so far this year is over 25%.

 

So, tourism from Taiwan was a growing market - exactly what Thailand wants in these uncertain economic times.

 

Yet, the new visa rules will kill off this promising market.

 

So what is the story Thai Government? Do you want more tourists, except if they come from Taiwan?

 

[reargunnerph3]

Thailand is fast becoming a country to avoid. So many other countries that welcome tourists and are cheaper. Lucky for Thailand that the rich Indians are coming soon. 5555