Doesn’t the TAT want tourists here in Thailand?

[ThailandRyan]

29 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Why would I want to become a US citizen lol?

17 million baht is NOT worth a long term US visa. 

 

3 million baht is still a lot and my point is that it should be the same as yanks coming here, who have to invest ZERO. 

 

To be frank, the immigration requirements should be stricter in Thailand than the US as it is a much better country, IMHO, no risk of our kids being shot at school, for a start. Not to mention the obese culture.  

 

You said you wanted to retire there didn't you and the cost was off-putting.  You say one thing and then poopoo it when shown what the actual particulars are....

 

Your saying we invest zero to stay here as retiree's, I think you are confused.  By the end of time we will have invested more in this country then you would invest in the US and still you can get citizenship in the US after 5 years of having a green card, the majority of us can not even get PR here in Thailand let alone what you have so why do you like to throw it out there and then dawdle when shown the truth. Yet for 1.5 million USD we could buy 1 rai of land here, under a new scheme they are hatching, and then get a long term visa, but still no citizenship.  Not comparable at all

[vandeventer]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Would 45 days cover it then or would you still be looking to extend? I think the mass market of big numbers from China/India are more in their sights. 

45 days is not the answer 90 days for a VOA is. It gives tourist plenty of time to spend their money and see the beauty of Thailand.

Edited August 11, 2022 by vandeventer

[plahgat]

9 hours ago, ukrules said:

They could make it simple and just issue 90 day stamps for everyone

 

That is how it used to be when I came to Thailand first time back in 1987!

You got 3 months stamped in your passport, with the possibility to extend!

[tjo o tjim]

In my years of visiting and living in Thailand I have gone to an immigration office once.  I plan my trips to avoid it now; no reason for the added hassle.  These days I could use a 60 or 90-day visa exemption, because getting a visa is too much of a pain for a vacation.

[Classic Ray]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

There is a big problem here with illegal immigrants. There are even agents in Pattaya that help them bypass immigration requirements for £500. As a result, we get undesirables, who have fake year visas. 

 

 

The agents could not operate without collusion from some officials. Whilst the envelopes keep flowing, nothing will change. Get Big Joke to sort it out.

[Neeranam]

49 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your saying we invest zero to stay here as retiree's, I think you are confused.  By the end of time we will have invested more in this country then you would invest in the US

What will you have invested in? 

I think you are mixing up 'investing' and 'spending'.

If I retire the US, I have to invest money PLUS all my living expenses! 

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm….. I’ve often wondered this myself. TIT

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

The agents could not operate without collusion from some officials. Whilst the envelopes keep flowing, nothing will change. Get Big Joke to sort it out.

If immigrants satisfied requirements, there would be no corruption. Not blaming anyone but stating the facts; it's so easy for people to retire here, which isn't reciprocal. Yet, people still complain.

[racket]

What you are asking for requires brains and common sense. 
 

There is no such leadership in Thailand to improve and attract more tourism. TAT consists of outdated employees on government payroll just so they can roll their thumbs and keep report expected tourist arrivals every quarter to satisfy the public without much questioning. We all know they are fake.
 

This whole Covid extension program was a complete embarrassment from the beginning, as many were caught without knowing what they will do next, which left many to leave when they could have stayed and help at least maintain tourism at a somewhat good level.. but no!

 

They shot themselves in the foot and it was the last coffin. Tourism will slowly rebound, but let’s be honest, Thailand has fallen behind and isn’t as furious as it was 10 years ago. 
 

The land of smiles have turned into the land of masks. And with overpriced fare tickets, there are better deals out there. Sure, prices have come down, but value isn’t there. 
 

I know many Americans for instance who are heading to Europe instead, and most Northern Europeans simply find the Mediterranean much more appealing nowadays. 
 

Anyways, since the Chinese ain’t coming back very soon, the people over at TAT will continue to have a hard task trying to convince the farangs to come. 
 

Good luck! 
 

Edited August 11, 2022 by racket

[Dexxter]

8 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Won't bother copying which countries can apply for this (Australians, Russians, Indians and Chinese amongst others) but the details are here:
https://extranet.immigration.go.th/voaonline/voaonline/VoaonlineAction.do

Note - Visa on Arrival is NOT the same as "Visa Exemption Stamp" - which is good for 30 days of course.

I wonder why Australia is on that list. Australians are eligible for the 30 day visa exemption.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

They're are reasons Thailand doesn't want to allow tourist to come on long visas, take a walk down Soi bukao and you'll see why. 

If the US and UK extend visas for Thais then we can extend for Brit/yank tourists. 

But Soi Buakao is ONLY 1 soi in 1 city in the whole of Thailand, but the visa allows the user to visit any soi, in any city in the whole of Thailand.

 

As usual, you are making assumptions again.

[Kwaibill]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

They're are reasons Thailand doesn't want to allow tourist to come on long visas, take a walk down Soi bukao and you'll see why. 

If the US and UK extend visas for Thais then we can extend for Brit/yank tourists. 

I expect Brit/Yank tourists have a larger impact on the Thai economy than the reverse.

[VBF]

37 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

If immigrants satisfied requirements, there would be no corruption. Not blaming anyone but stating the facts; it's so easy for people to retire here, which isn't reciprocal. Yet, people still complain.

You've got that the wrong way around.

For the immigrants who DO satisfy requirements, there is no corruption because they don't NEED to be involved in it.

However, the immigrants who do NOT satisfy requirements take advantage of the corruption, offered by.....Thai officialdom. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

8 hours ago, Neeranam said:

 

If the US and UK extend visas for Thais then we can extend for Brit/yank tourists. 

You could start off by allowing Brits and Yanks to own land in Thailand and also allowing Spouses of Thais to live and work in Thailand , like Thais can do in USA/UK ?

[Mac Mickmanus]

57 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

If immigrants satisfied requirements, there would be no corruption. Not blaming anyone but stating the facts; it's so easy for people to retire here, which isn't reciprocal. Yet, people still complain.

Thread is about tourists and tourist visas

[perdido]

8 hours ago, milesinnz said:

"Of course, the idea is that the longer they stay the more money they will spend"... wow such insight... I never knew such insight existed in people in high places in Thailand.. I am astounded...

....how interesting.....

[Neeranam]

23 minutes ago, VBF said:

You've got that the wrong way around.

For the immigrants who DO satisfy requirements, there is no corruption because they don't NEED to be involved in it.

Some I know pay Immigration Officers 5,000 baht or so, so they don't have to travel to Bangkok to get a letter from their embassy.  Ironically, these are the types of guys who complain about corruption. Everyone is corruptible.

[Dexxter]

7 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

I remember getting a 6 month tourist visa from the UK in Liverpool and it was a very simple process. Now all those little offices are closed and it has to be done by the embassy in London and application process and what is asked for is absolutely insane. Meanwhile over the years they made the process for Chinese tourists very much easier hence the explosion of tourism from China. That has come back to bite them.

Not just the UK. I wanted a 6 month METV and the local Melbourne office had closed. Application had to be through Sydney or Canberra and took several weeks an more expense than the 3 days processing before covid. Thankfully the extra steps of Thai Pass and covid insurance were abandoned before I applied. So now in Australia we have a more expensive and more convoluted process to get a visa, unless you live in Sydney i suppose.

[stoutfella]

9 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Journalism and bureaucracy ain't what it use to be.

I thought it was nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

[Thingamabob]

9 hours ago, Olav Seglem said:

Spot on..

They are real mafia.

Used the online application 2 days ago.

Unfortunately wrote my passport issued 23 dec not 9 dec.

Mismatch, so approval "automatically declined".

No refund of thb ca 2.500

Government thieves...

Your mistake, surely ? Or have I not properly understood your post ?

[sambum]

"People need to plan holidays in advance......"

 

The most important sentence in the whole post, and one that appears to have gone right over the heads of the Government and those at the helm of TAT.

 

They make changes in restrictions, and expect the results to happen overnight with the result that we are constantly battered with optimistic forecasts from TAT e.g. "TAT expects xxx million  tourists next month" when even a kindergarten child would realise that to go on holiday means making plans in advance, and for instance, extending the length of visas is only one thing that would be visitors take into account in their preparations. They have to book holidays from work, (taking into consideration their co workers holiday requirements), book flights and hotels at the most competitive prices etc etc - none of which are likely to mean an increase in next months tourist figures!

[Partenavia]

It is Thailand's loss that they make Tourist visa's so difficult to get. 

[Neeranam]

20 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

You could start off by allowing Brits and Yanks to own land in Thailand and also allowing Spouses of Thais to live and work in Thailand , like Thais can do in USA/UK ?

Spouses of Thais can live and work in Thailand, what are you talking about?

There are very good reasons why Thailand doesn't allow people with no history of working in Thailand to become citizens and able to buy land. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

Spouses of Thais can live and work in Thailand, what are you talking about?

 

Can they work in any job, like Thais married to Brits can ?

Can Brits married to Thais work in 7/11's in Thailand , like Thais married to Brits can do in the U.K ?

[Baron Samedi]

Dear TAT:

 

1)People should be able to extend their tourist visa as many times as they want.

2) Extension should be 60 days.

3) Fee should be the same as for a visa.

4) Everything should be done online.

5) Proof of financial health should be mandatory.

6) Proof of basic health insurance should be mandatory.

7) An option should allow people to buy an health insurance package for the duration of their stay if need be.

 

As for visas, stop asking people to pay for them in advance.

And stop asking for a f*cking return ticket.

 

????????

[Kopitiam]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Would 45 days cover it then or would you still be looking to extend? I think the mass market of big numbers from China/India are more in their sights. 

For mass market tourism from China/India, 14 days is more than enough.

[Robin]

"Doesn’t the TAT want tourists here in Thailand?"

Short answer is No, they do not, and never have wanted mass tourism. The idea of hoards of disrespectful farangs in Thailand  has always been hated by the elite.  Sex tourism has never been wanted, but it made so much money it had to be tolerated.

The pre-Covid tourism boom has given TAT the idea that the world wants to visit Thailand and will do almost anything to do so.  Hence the nonsense restrictions for entry now and in the past year.

When I first started visiting Thailand, I could get a 60 day entry visa at any embassy by simply filling in a paper form and paying a small fee.  

Now it has to be done on-line and requires copies of air tickets, passport pages and other stuff, so who is going to bother unless they really want or need to come to Thailand.

I do not think that it is a coincidence that Thailand now has a military government, and i cannot see the situation improving until TAT is run by more pragmatic people.

Those of us who have made our lives in Thailand will just have to put up with the current lot and make the best of it, or look for somewhere else where we might be more welcome.

 

[Purdey]

3 hours ago, arithai12 said:

those who go for the first 1-2 times it can be quite entertaining.

As an adult who has been perhaps 20 times now on business, I find it fake, lacking history and culture. All the old buildings have been knocked down and there is no charm about the place. 

Maybe good for kids but I never enjoyed it. Just my experience of course.

[Purdey]

6 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

incapable of 'Getting its act Together'. 

Not disagreeing but find Thailand far better for a holiday than Singapore. Bali is a place I love due to its culture and atmosphere.

[Bday Prang]

9 hours ago, Neeranam said:

There is a big problem here with illegal immigrants. There are even agents in Pattaya that help them bypass immigration requirements for £500. As a result, we get undesirables, who have fake year visas. 

 

 

 

 Thailand's "big problem" with illegal immigrants pales into insignificance when compared, for example. to the situation in the UK where tens of thousands arrive every year !   We even supply them with hotel accommodation , mobile phones , spending money and  legal representation all funded by the state.     If and when the decision is made to even think about deporting them we  pay for them to be represented by a lawyer throughout an appeals process that can last virtually indefinitely  In the unlikely event that the decision is made to deport them it can be stopped by some faceless bureaucrat in Brussels and the whole appeal starts again Thailand seems to be much more efficient in dealing with their illegals I would say there is no comparison

There are agents everywhere who assist people to obtain visas none of them are offering their services for free and none of those services are subsidised by the state   I doubt there are any illegal immigrants here who are actually a drain on public funds. 

Just because somebody doesn't want to leave 800,000 baht festering in a low interest bank account does not really make them "undesirable" in the same way that somebody who is prepared to do that is automatically "desirable"