Doesn’t the TAT want tourists here in Thailand?

[Neeranam]

7 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

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 

Don't be so naive.

There have been many who find themselves in hot water after trying to get a real visa extension in their own province. They are then stuck with the illegal agents, paying $600 a year for something that should be $55. 

 

[Gknrd]

Don't be so naive.

There have been many who find themselves in hot water after trying to get a real visa extension in their own province. They are then stuck with the illegal agents, paying $600 a year for something that should be $55. 

 

Sounds like a corruption problem to me!  

Edited August 12, 2022 by Gknrd

[arithai12]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:13 PM, Purdey said:

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.

If history and culture are your only interest, then point taken Singapore IS fake. Some people  have other interests as well. I am bored by it all by now, but I can imagine that Sentosa or the Zoo or the Jewel or Gardens by the Bay and the seemingly infinite (though repetitive) shopping and eating can make a 2-3 days stop for a first time visitor quite interesting.

[arithai12]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:18 PM, ThailandRyan said:

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.

In general what you say is correct, in practice however compared to Europe, the money made by the gov't on the registration of house, car and similar is minimal. And, those are goods that you buy and enjoy, not an investment as normally understood. 

I think the Thai economy as a whole profits much more, per day, with a tourist than with a long-term resident. With the possible exception of health services.

 

[stoutfella]

I still remember the halcyon days of 90 day visa on arrival.

[Karma80]

On 8/12/2022 at 1:09 PM, kinyara said:

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.

The shift in working from home as the pandemic bit never rolled back to normal. More people work remotely than ever before and can do so from pretty much anywhere in many cases. Why not reduce your cost of living and not sit in an expensive shoe box in a western country? Add in the economies starting to tip into recession and corporate earnings being hit, and those overhead costs of more offices are not looking too attractive. A distributed workforce is suddenly the smart move when wanting to keep and find staff in a tight labour market. That's one big driver to longer-term stay.

[Seppius]

The police don't seem to welcome tourists, they shut down Nana and Cowboy dead on midnight Friday 12th.,

 

Cowboy was heaving at the time.

[kinyara]

1 hour ago, Karma80 said:

The shift in working from home as the pandemic bit never rolled back to normal. More people work remotely than ever before and can do so from pretty much anywhere in many cases. Why not reduce your cost of living and not sit in an expensive shoe box in a western country? Add in the economies starting to tip into recession and corporate earnings being hit, and those overhead costs of more offices are not looking too attractive. A distributed workforce is suddenly the smart move when wanting to keep and find staff in a tight labour market. That's one big driver to longer-term stay.

Yes but your scenario is not what is being proposed in this case, they are talking about offering only an extra 15 days for tourists. This is short term holiday stay not an avenue to relocate your working or living situation for any meaningful length of time.

[BonMot]

Just keep them out of Bangkok and I don't care. Off the BTS, off Sukhumvit. I'm glad I live on MRT work on BTS line - but quite happy if they just find another country.

 

My comments definitely include westerners.

 

GBH

 

PS extending this will only allow Russian and Ukrainian hoors to settle in.

Edited August 14, 2022 by BonMot

[Don Chance]

I'm in Mamallapuram right now. I like it better than Thailand. People are much nicer. and it is not so hot like Thailand. Swimming is good here with waves and surfing, long long beaches you can walk forever. Much more laid back country. Of course garbage is everywhere. But a 5 year is only $150.

[Puccini]

3 hours ago, Don Chance said:

I'm in Mamallapuram right now. I like it better than Thailand...

Mammallapuram is a country of which I haven't hear so far. Where is it?

[pomchop]

compare vietnam tourist visa with thai requirements...vietnam easy peasy...thai download pics bank statements hotel confirmation airline confirmations copy of passport, copy passport pages, pci of u holding passport, affidavit and on and on...

 

In some cases, you can apply for a 3 month visa for tourism purpose; the procedure will be the same with 1 month visa. In other words, Vietnamese tourist visa’s validity can be from 15 days to 3 months. Procedures: In order to apply for a tourist visa online and pick up your visa at Vietnam airports, the following information is required:

• Your name as per passport: it is your full name appears on your passport, name order is not important, so you can place either surname first or first name first.
• Your date of birth: in Vietnam, the date format will be DD/MM/YYYY
• Your Nationality or passport: the passport you are using to enter Vietnam.
• Your passport number: as shown on your passport and should be valid for 6 months at least from the date of arrival.
• Date of arrival: applicants must fill exactly Date of Arrival. Please be advised that you can just enter Vietnam later not earlier than the proposed date.

Photos: photos are required at Vietnam airport only.

[ThailandRyan]

7 hours ago, Puccini said:

Mammallapuram is a country of which I haven't hear so far. Where is it?

It is an Indian State, and has a small population but is a world Heritage UNESCO site.  Very beautiful, but as the poster said it does have trash strewn about.  

[stoutfella]

On 8/14/2022 at 8:18 PM, Don Chance said:

I'm in Mamallapuram right now. I like it better than Thailand. People are much nicer. and it is not so hot like Thailand. Swimming is good here with waves and surfing, long long beaches you can walk forever. Much more laid back country. Of course garbage is everywhere. But a 5 year is only $150.

A 5 year what?

[jacko45k]

On 8/14/2022 at 10:41 AM, stoutfella said:

I still remember the halcyon days of 90 day visa on arrival.

For which nationality? I remember 15 days Visa Exempt a long time ago, and the current 30 days, but nothing in between. Visa on arrival only allows 15 days and cost 2000 baht doesn't it?

[Don Chance]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:41 AM, stoutfella said:

A 5 year what?

A 5 year visa. American can even get a 10 year visa for India. Lots of places one could hide out like the Andaman Island of India or in Kerala somewhere.

[stoutfella]

5 hours ago, jacko45k said:

For which nationality? I remember 15 days Visa Exempt a long time ago, and the current 30 days, but nothing in between. Visa on arrival only allows 15 days and cost 2000 baht doesn't it?

New Zealand.

[jacko45k]

8 hours ago, stoutfella said:

New Zealand.

Probably got changed when NZ began requiring Visas for Thais maybe? 

[Venom]

On 8/11/2022 at 3:45 AM, bluebluewater said:

Until I can fly in under the same situation that there was 10 years ago I will not make any plans to visit.

I kinda think that will never be the case.  So be it . . . . .

99.9% of the population is still wearing the covid masks even though it is no longer compulsory!

 

There is no going back. 

[StayinThailand2much]

On 8/11/2022 at 9:09 AM, 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. 

There are reasons why the U.S. and UK don't hand out extended visas for Thais easily, i.e. possible illegal work. (That's why, for example, as a female Thai tourist under 70, you can expect to be interviewed by immigration every single time you enter Hong Kong, even for short visits.)

 

As for foreign tourists, have you ever seen Yanks and Brits working illegally in Thailand as dishwashers or masseuses? 

Edited November 25, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/11/2022 at 12:28 PM, sawadee1947 said:

Why they need different Visa?

90 days for everybody.

As a visitor it's up to me then, when I leave the country within these 3 months.????

They tend to reciprocate what other countries give.

NZ used to get 90 days visa exempt, but that was when they got that in NZ. When NZ stopped theirs, Thailand stopped NZ 90 days.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

There are reasons why the U.S. and UK don't hand out extended visas for Thais easily, i.e. possible illegal work. (That's why, for example, as a female Thai tourist under 70, you can expect to be interviewed by immigration every single time you enter Hong Kong, even for short visits.)

 

As for foreign tourists, have you ever seen Yanks and Brits working illegally in Thailand as dishwashers or masseuses? 

That may be true, but if they don't give Thais a good deal don't expect Thailand to be generous.

[Celsius]

On 8/10/2022 at 6:49 PM, 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...

What you upload a picture of your passport which is required, the application automatically fills all the biometric information. So, how did that happen?