1 minute ago, MasterBaker said:

imagine asking Thai tourists to submit bank statement, noone would every leave the country

Thais do have to show bank accounts etc, try taking a Thai Girlfriend or wife to Australia for a trip, its bank accounts, letters from employers etc.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.”

As always said, look for the culprits for the loss of tourists at your home and not around the world!
Continue like this, in the future you can count all the Thai on the road and declare them tourists, for sure you reach the quantities you want ...

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.

Thailand has proudly stumbled on a new concept: Cause and Effect

It is now trying to merge it with a standard "brake failure" (denial of responsibility) response.

36 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Thais do have to show bank accounts etc, try taking a Thai Girlfriend or wife to Australia for a trip, its bank accounts, letters from employers etc.

Quite right too as a large percentage of Thais work illegally and abuse their visa conditions.

 

A lot of the required evidence to obtain visas is faked through agents as well.

 

Interestingly, although Thai felons are barred from entering Western countries on varying conditions, many Thai criminals have no problem obtaining visas as the criminal records database is not as effective as those in the West. Often, local Police stations are the only ones with the records.

 

I know a convicted Thai drug dealer that did seven years in a Thai jail and yet still received a visa to go to Australia just months after his release.

 

We are getting mugged off in the West make no mistake.

This is presumably some sort of ploy to cosy up to mainland China by making things harder for Taiwanese.  There can be no other logic when Thais can go to Taiwan with no visa (for now anyway), Malaysians, Singaporeans, Hong Kongers etc, all come to Thailand with no visa. Taiwan has a far higher per capita GDP than Thailand and the flow of undocumented labour is nearly all Thais going to Taiwan rather than vice versa.

No U-turn on your dumb policy or no tour groups... your choice.

Thought Taiwan was a banned word for Chinese huggers????

Taiwan is not afraid to stand up to China so standing up to Thailand is no biggy. Good on them.

Good on them. Pushback against the inane immigration policies this nation is plagued with, silly fools like Little Oud, Big Joke, and others, is the only way to send a message. One they understand. Deprivation of cash money! Thailand deserves this fate. They have spent the better part of a decade skinning the Golden Goose of tourism alive. Now, they are paying the price, for their arrogant, unbelievably ignorant, racist foolishness. 

 

It is a shame as millions of common Thais will be the ones who really suffer. The hapless and useless army will still enjoy it's billions, and the elite will not be affected. But, the average Thai will suffer. I am afraid this nation is in for a world of hurt, just around the corner. They barely see it coming. 

14 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Me thinks the Chinese could be behind this but good on ya guys, 

Actually, it’s not the ‘Chinese’ people it’s the Communist rulers ... the ones the Thai military used to hate but now kowtow to. 

8 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Good on them. Pushback against the inane immigration policies this nation is plagued with, silly fools like Little Oud, Big Joke, and others, is the only way to send a message. One they understand. Deprivation of cash money! Thailand deserves this fate. They have spent the better part of a decade skinning the Golden Goose of tourism alive. Now, they are paying the price, for their arrogant, unbelievably ignorant, racist foolishness. 

 

It is a shame as millions of common Thais will be the ones who really suffer. The hapless and useless army will still enjoy it's billions, and the elite will not be affected. But, the average Thai will suffer. I am afraid this nation is in for a world of hurt, just around the corner. They barely see it coming. 

Agreed...... the Army and elite won't feel the pain......... Just the poor, loso, Thais will hurt horribly.... 'Their' poor children will go hungry (and UNEDUCATED) along with their elderly... And 'they' won't get Hospital care either... and die in large numbers.....

AND the ONLY headlines will be''' "OUR Tanks and Submarines have Arrived... NO MENTION of the HIGH NUMBER of deaths and starvation among the poor... ALL the signs of a 'Military Regime'.......

Why Taiwan? They are better educated and have more money than the mainland Chinese. ( Oh, I get it. This is a political move .) 

As I think it’s been noted earlier, I think there CAN be a case where it IS justified and a good idea to ask for this kind of financial data... but.... to me, unless there is a proven trend otherwise, I think you ask for this kind of data from citizens of countries who really come from “lower” economic nations... not equal or higher level. 
 

Sure, the mere fact that someone comes from a “wealthy” nation does not alone mean they can’t or won’t become destitute or they will/must  have sufficient funds... but I do think (opinion only) that the ODDS here are that you ask this kind of data to those who are more LIKEY to be in a case where funds may be questionable... and I think that’s from countries whose economic status is “lower” than that of the destination country.

10 minutes ago, toenail said:

Why Taiwan? They are better educated and have more money than the mainland Chinese. ( Oh, I get it. This is a political move .) 

As I read the story they were starting with Taiwan to get the wrinkles out of the system before they extended it to all eVisa countries including the UK. They've asked an income question on all Arrival cards for many years now; I've always picked a checkbox at random as my answer cannot be verified by the Thais

26 minutes ago, toenail said:

Oh, I get it. This is a political move

Orders from the mainland?

What a circus.

21 hours ago, Bassosa said:

Poor Thailand, trying to please Beijing by bullying the Taiwanese, now finding out that that won't stick!

I believe their plans go far beyond that and are more sinister. The Thai government in cooperation with the Chinese Communist party I was using this to gather Intel on Taiwanese visitors. that way Thailand government can pass along this intel to big brother China.

19 hours ago, garyk said:

Good on them, my hope is the US will slam the door shut on all goods being exported to the US from Thailand. Heavy import taxes. 

Let China support them as far as I am concerned.

They can start with automotive parts. You hear everyone bashing China for taking away a u.s. jobs however in the automotive parts industry Thailand has put a big dent in u.s. parts manufacturing.

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to boycott tours to Thailand. Nothing like a threat of tourist numbers to convince the Thai government to review its stance on the Taiwanese tourists’ visas!

Is there something missing in this paragraph? Shouldn't it have been something like ...the postponement of the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements...

10 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Yes, Taiwanese are mostly polite, quiet and they just spend money.  You sound as arrogant and poorly schooled in business as the junta.  You do not choose your customers.  They choose you.  And upsetting good customers is bad business. 

Exactly like you said! I have some Taiwanese friends and their so 100% different to mainland Chinese. Polite, western-world minded, most of them have a good level of english etc etc.

 

The southern part is still poor in relation to Taipeh and that`s why many young Taiwanese look for job abroad. However, the recent visa stuff is HUGE issue in Taiwan and they are really p***** of. 

 

Stupid Thailand..that`s all I have to say. Taiwanese rather travel on their own and not in pre-booked groups like Chinese.

6 hours ago, lubfishin said:

I believe their plans go far beyond that and are more sinister. The Thai government in cooperation with the Chinese Communist party I was using this to gather Intel on Taiwanese visitors. that way Thailand government can pass along this intel to big brother China.

I think you have come about as close to the 'real answer' as any reply I've read so far....

Thailand is really 'snuggling up' with the communist movement.....  So SAD for the poor Thai people....