Doesn’t the TAT want tourists here in Thailand?

[Mac Mickmanus]

  On 8/10/2022 at 11:27 PM, 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. 

 

 

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That used to be me .

I was one of those "undesirables" on , well, not fully legitimate visas .

I was one of those undesirables giving brown envelopes every year.

  I am sure that you will be pleased to know that I left Thailand and have no intention of going back 

[Dexxter]

  On 8/11/2022 at 8:32 AM, Baron Samedi said:

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

And stop asking for a f*cking return ticket.

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Try getting a partner visa in Australia. It costs more than $8000 and if they decline the visa for whatever reason there is NO REFUND. $8000 down the toilet if some official has a bad day because he did not get any from his wife the previous night, and does not like your evidence. Yeah, I suppose you can appeal, for additional legal expenses.

[milesinnz]

  On 8/10/2022 at 11:46 PM, 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. 

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2 or 2 months is ideal for me in one year. I take your point about the market they are aiming for.... i just don't understand what the downside would be to 60 days.. what would the cost to Thailand be.... ?

[gearbox]

  On 8/11/2022 at 5:14 AM, The Hammer2021 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/11/new-zealand-tourism-minister-makes-pitch-to-the-rich-as-he-spurns-10-a-day-travellers

Why would anyone  but Australians want to visit new zealand?

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It is a great country to visit, one of the most picturesque countries in the world. Drawback it is expensive and some of the trails are too much marketed and no match for the Himalayan options.

[Antiparovian]

  On 8/11/2022 at 3:31 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Yes there is.

 

https://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand-visa/visa-on-arrival

 

Securing Visas upon entry in Thailand

The VISA ON ARRIVAL allows passport holders of 19* countries to enter Thailand under this rule provided that they meet these requirements:

1. The visit is strictly for tourism purposes.
2. The passport must be genuine and should be valid for at least 30 days.

 

However, persons who are not eligible to enter Thailand under the VISA ON ARRIVAL and VISA EXEMPTION RULE are advised to obtain visas with the Royal Thai Embassy prior to their visit.

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I am from the UK so cannot get Visa on Arrival. Same applies to USA, Australian and many EU citizens.

[Mac Mickmanus]

  On 8/11/2022 at 10:27 AM, Antiparovian said:

I am from the UK so cannot get Visa on Arrival. Same applies to USA, Australian and many EU citizens.

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You can get a 30 day visa exempt stamp on arrival in Thailand 

[sabaijai]

"SE Asia is competitive."

 

Sure, but Thailand is the most desirable country destination in the region, for most potential tourists, and that's the answer to the rhetorical question. 

[ThailandRyan]

  On 8/11/2022 at 6:35 AM, Neeranam said:

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! 

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So the house and condo are not investments where the country makes money on taxes, or registration etc...hmmm. Add in transfer fees and so on....32 million Thb not invested, oh and cars and motorbikes, guess it's not an investment as no one in Thailand made any money on it and the government did not collect VAT or other fees, good to know we do not provide for the country by our non investing....lol. or the Bank accounts where the money us in fixed deposit accounts...strange.

[ThailandRyan]

  On 8/11/2022 at 6:37 AM, 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.

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If immigrants satisfied.......  there would be no corruption.  Are you taking the <deleted> today. So your now blaming immigrants on Thailand’s endemic corruption at all levels...that's just laughable 

[Canuckluck]

Post deleted.

[ThailandRyan]

  On 8/11/2022 at 10:27 AM, Antiparovian said:

I am from the UK so cannot get Visa on Arrival. Same applies to USA, Australian and many EU citizens.

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So you get an arrival based upon being Visa exempt and get 30 days.  If not you apply for a Tourist Visa through the Consulate in your country.

[Muzzique]

  On 8/11/2022 at 2:02 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Wanting tourists and getting them in the numbers they want us a bleak proposition  sure folks are traveling but then because of economic issues many are rethinking travel.

 

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I think this was all predicted before

 

 

[Percy P]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:19 PM, ukrules said:

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

 

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I agree,  this would save a lot of paperwork..

[Woof999]

  On 8/10/2022 at 11:27 PM, Neeranam said:

As a result, we get undesirables, who have fake year visas. 

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If they get fake visas then it doesn't really matter whether the real visa is 15, 30, 45 or however many days. The illegals will overstay regardless.

[Damrongsak]

  On 8/10/2022 at 8:35 PM, pomchop said:

Having just gone through the absurd online app for a tourist visa this would be a major help...the current application process and required downloads along with mostly worthless instructions/faq  was obviously done/approved by some who want to make it as frustrating/difficult as possible to get an online visa..the only thing that happened quickly and easily was charging the credit card for the $40 fee. (non refundable).

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I had trouble with the eVisa web site hanging up.  Had to do it about 4-5 times in total.  Once I got all the stuff uploaded and paid, it took 7 days for a 60 day visa to be issued.  The money suck part worked flawlessly.

[pomchop]

Took me hours to download all the stuff they wanted ....ask for flight res but i have two one way tickets with two separate confirmations and it only allowed to download one confirmation etc...asks for all the various hotel confirmation but i am staying in dozen or more all over thailand..so just did a refundable booking all at one hotel for entire length of stay.

favorite was last download take a pic of yourself holding your passport...this after downloaded passport, separate pic of self etc....ask you to download a doc saying agree to various terms and conditions...problem is doc ask you to sign but if you don't have adobe acrobat good luck signing online and no it would not let me print it sign it and then download  pic of signed doc...so submitted it unsigned which prob will get it rejected...

 

suggestion...when visa holder shows up at immigration look at passport and at holder and if not him catch it there...if u want a doc signed on line make it signable on line

 

anyway it appears that maybe the no visa required will get decided on aug 19 which would mean i just wasted my time and $$ on something i would not even need and of course i am sure no refund 

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is set to propose extending the length of stay for tourist visas and visa on arrival (VOA) to a maximum of 45 days.

According to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn, a proposal will be presented to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) at a meeting due to be held on August 19.

The proposal will call for the period of stay for tourist visas to be extended from the current 30 days to a maximum of 45 days, while the period of stay for visa on arrival extended from 15 days to a maximum of 45 days.

The extension would be effective from the date of approval and run through to December 31, 2022.

[jacko45k]

  On 8/11/2022 at 8:36 AM, Kopitiam said:

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

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Personally less would suit me.....

[jacko45k]

  On 8/11/2022 at 9:53 AM, milesinnz said:

2 or 2 months is ideal for me in one year. I take your point about the market they are aiming for.... i just don't understand what the downside would be to 60 days.. what would the cost to Thailand be.... ?

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Loss of income from people extending? I think when I first ever came to Thailand we were only stamped in for 15 days.... 

It has been 30 for a long time now...things change slowly under military oversight. A bit of xenophobic paranoia maybe?

[steve187]

  On 8/10/2022 at 11:27 PM, 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. 

 

 

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i don't think they are fake year visa's but i believe some yearly extensions are issued by immigration offices without all the requirements being fully checked

[Pattaya Spotter]

I seem to recall getting 90 day stamps when I traveled to Singapore with my American passport.

[Baron Samedi]

  On 8/11/2022 at 9:42 AM, Dexxter said:

Try getting a partner visa in Australia. It costs more than $8000 and if they decline the visa for whatever reason there is NO REFUND. $8000 down the toilet if some official has a bad day because he did not get any from his wife the previous night, and does not like your evidence. Yeah, I suppose you can appeal, for additional legal expenses.

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We are talking about Thai tourist visas here but I feel you. It sucks.

[kinyara]

I got the impression that global inflation was starting to put the dampners on people's disposable income, seems a bit of a strange time to feel there is a significant demand for longer visas. The average length of stay for Thailand's mass market near neighbours is under 1 week and for the long-haul European markets it is under 3 weeks. I doubt any change will have a material impact, far bigger issues outside of Thailand's control that are likely to affect tourist numbers in the near future.

[jacko45k]

  On 8/12/2022 at 3:24 AM, Pattaya Spotter said:

I seem to recall getting 90 day stamps when I traveled to Singapore with my American passport.

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That is correct. 

But could you find enough to do for 90 days there?

[Neeranam]

  On 8/12/2022 at 1:15 AM, steve187 said:

i don't think they are fake year visa's but i believe some yearly extensions are issued by immigration offices without all the requirements being fully checked

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They are fake, unless you live in Khon Kaen, they are sent to upcountry IOs. 

[ThailandRyan]

  On 8/12/2022 at 7:26 AM, Neeranam said:

They are fake, unless you live in Khon Kaen, they are sent to upcountry IOs. 

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Not fake, just taken elsewhere where the rules at that Immigration office differ than the others, and an actual extension is entered into the PP.  If only all Immigration offices did there jobs like the rules and regulations state then there would be no place for the immigration offices and officers to cut corners.  Of course there are those that have fake stamps and have been caught, but in the end it is not the foreigners who are placing the illegal stamps or etc....into the PP now is it.  Some folks pay an agent because they do not want to trouble themselves, is it there fault the system allows the use of agents.  You seem to forget about all of the foreign migrant workers who have been trucked in, do not have documents, but are provided them under an amnesty, the same as Stateless people.

[connda]

My first America friend showed up in BKK today.  It's been 2 and a half years. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

  On 8/12/2022 at 6:19 AM, jacko45k said:

That is correct. 

But could you find enough to do for 90 days there?

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Exactly...only needed 3 days for a visa run; and some shopping and eating. I was just surprised the visa-free entry period was so long. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

  On 8/12/2022 at 7:26 AM, Neeranam said:

They are fake, unless you live in Khon Kaen, they are sent to upcountry IOs. 

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They are NOT fake visas at all , they are genuine visas issued by the Immigration office .

   You are just paying an agent to deal with all the paper work and to get all the documents that the immigration office require 

[StayinThailand2much]

The TAT wants a maximum number of arrivals, as well as cash for the agency. How long tourists stay, or who benefits from tourism is not (really) TAT's concern...

[Neeranam]

  On 8/12/2022 at 7:32 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Some folks pay an agent because they do not want to trouble themselves, is it there fault the system allows the use of agents. 

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True and they pay about 1,000 baht. It's the ones that pay 15,000 baht that are obviously breaking the law.