With tourism picking up it is time to cash in. 

Hopefully deter some visitors. 

 

It's packed. 

Think the "genuine" tourist won't be too worried as they usually go home within 30 days, or some within 60 after a 30-day extension.

The long-term stayers, without the correct visa though, may feel a little aggrieved. End of the day though, they are not actually tourists. ....

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

A caretaker government can not extend the Visa waiver nor make any new laws. What is so hard to understand.

That's nonsense and you should know it. There's no law change required.

Smart move.... now who wants to stay for 45 days have to leave and come back... Counting again for the tourist numbers and so we can get our goal this year.

1 minute ago, ikke1959 said:

Counting again for the tourist numbers and so we can get our goal this year.

Yes... Counting as they always have except for the covid anomaly is so sly ????????????

Cant have Jonny foreigner getting 15 days for free!

 

I wish our foreign governments would 

reciprocate this to Thais abroad,

My wife would love a trip to immigration every 90 days etc,

4 hours ago, BestB said:

All the neighboring countries including Vietnam looking to relax and extend visa's to attract more tourism, but Thailand does the opposite.

 

I fully understand most tourists do not need more than 30 days, but having them also does not hurt considering they are bringing money and spending money

vietnam is making a fool of itself with there e-visa read aii the fine print before you quote family of 4 all had there photo, taken at the same place and same time 1 was ok the other 3 rejected  

11 minutes ago, cowellandrew said:

Cant have Jonny foreigner getting 15 days for free!

 

I wish our foreign governments would 

reciprocate this to Thais abroad,

My wife would love a trip to immigration every 90 days etc,

I think a lot of Thais would be ecstatic if foreign governments reciprocated.

 

They would love being able to get a 30 day visa exempt entry to UK, US, Europe etc.

 

5 hours ago, Maestro said:

Trying to avoid overtourism.

You would wonder why they would want to do that. More tourism means more jobs for the Thai people. They should want to encourage tourism and try and make up for what was lost during the pandemic.

1 hour ago, AustinRacing said:

With tourism picking up it is time to cash in. 

Try telling the soldiers that.

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

It's a control thing.

I am thinking that Thailand does lean more toward the Chinese social control government model.

5 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

 

 

Never understood why Thailand is so strict about that, while countries like Malaysia give a 90 days exemption entry.

I just passed through Costa Rica. Told the guy I would be there for just 4 days. Still got the standard 90 day entry.

 

56 minutes ago, Paradise Pete said:

I just passed through Costa Rica. Told the guy I would be there for just 4 days. Still got the standard 90 day entry.

 

Costa Rica is not Thailand. Laos gives a 90 day as well.

5 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

News flash for the thick ???? It is most definitely NOT an Aprils Fools joke. ????

That's why I waited until I had images of NEW entry stamps from the border before I posted the news 

The change to 45 days from 30 days on the visa exempt/visa waiver entries and the change to 30 days from 15 days on the visa on arrival entries was a plan to boost tourism. I believe it started Oct 1st 2022 and was set to run out (just like it did) at 11:59PM March 31st..   

 

This is all your fault Tod!

 

 

6 hours ago, baansgr said:

Malaya is a fantastic place to chill, in fact far better than Thailand regarding food, transport, beaches, safety and a lot more...it's a tally cheaper than Thailand..except for booze and fags

What cities?

Was told the date or heard i got my 45 day just before the deadline.I think everyone knew this and the date too.

my 50 baht here..... with 60 + 60 and then 2 border runs you get 6 months.....more than enough to stay in thailand per year from october to mid march, after it gets too hot anyways....who wants to fry at 33 degrees every day?

So for me no changes...I think I will still do visa exempt next time i come to thailand

but it shows how 2 faced the gov is....when they needed tourists they did 45...now when there is full of russkies, they lowered it to 30 days.....

you coulld also see the police not stopping you for helmets suddenly post covid....before you been stopped almost every 2 days on a bike...this time not even once in 5 months i was in thailand

5 hours ago, AustinRacing said:

With tourism picking up it is time to cash in. 

Tourism is picking up?  According to this board Thailand is totally doomed and the serial whiners around here are never wrong.

Why Thailand has visa rules? Since I am legal visitor and I have money for my stay whats the problem?Its funny for a State to hear visa stay 30days or45 or 30+1 plus. I have the money to rent a house or hotel room and for my expences.Whats Thais problem? If I dont have money to stay I will leave the country of my destination.European Union is not a simple State but it is Countries Union....

 

13 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

If the 45 days was working ok then why cancel it? You cancel things that don't work not things that are working.

Hmmm….but this is Thailand remember.

2 hours ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm….but this is Thailand remember.

It was not canceled, the timeline ended on March 31st, that's it plain and simple. The current government is just a caretaker government and can not enact any new laws or programs or extend ending ones.  It is not because "This is Thailand remember"

12 hours ago, JWNZ said:

Think the "genuine" tourist won't be too worried as they usually go home within 30 days, or some within 60 after a 30-day extension.

The long-term stayers, without the correct visa though, may feel a little aggrieved. End of the day though, they are not actually tourists. ....

In addition to my other shorter trips at other times of the year, I normally visit for Xmas/New Year and stay the full 30 days. This time I decided to stay the whole 45 days just because the hassle free option was there. Many of my friends that I meet up with out there do the same and made the same decision to extend our stays for exactly the same reason. We all budgeted about B400k for the 6 weeks and we are tourists. However, if it stays at 30 days come this December, that’s what we’ll be coming for as we just can’t be arsed applying for 60 day visas in advance or losing a day at immigration for an extension?

For us, 30 days becomes 27 when travelling to and from Suvarnabhumi and airline departure arrival times are taken into account.

The 45 day was really good as we could extend the above for just a couple of days each side of arrival/departure and took away the rush.

Of course there are other options but as usual, hand in pocket again and the hastle of sending passport down to bloody Sydney a month beforehand.

They just can't bring themselves to move forward. 

what a shame. 

TIT. 

 

 

15 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

15 hours ago, moe666 said:

Most tourist coming to Thailand only need 5 to 10 days at most, 30 days is too much for the majority.

You're wrong, people from Europe stay an average of 17-18 days.

Can you tell the difference between 'tourist' and 'people'?

 

The long-stayers from Europe are probably what we used to call 'resident tourists'. You know, the under-50 set with condo's and girlfriends and bank accounts and a car on finance, etc..

17 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

Never understood why Thailand is so strict about that, while countries like Malaysia give a 90 days exemption entry.

Wonder if it is anything to do with the fact most Tourists coming to Thailand are Malaysian?

28 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

13 hours ago, JWNZ said:

Think the "genuine" tourist won't be too worried as they usually go home within 30 days, or some within 60 after a 30-day extension.

The long-term stayers, without the correct visa though, may feel a little aggrieved. End of the day though, they are not actually tourists. ....

In addition to my other shorter trips at other times of the year, I normally visit for Xmas/New Year and stay the full 30 days. This time I decided to stay the whole 45 days just because the hassle free option was there. Many of my friends that I meet up with out there do the same and made the same decision to extend our stays for exactly the same reason. We all budgeted about B400k for the 6 weeks and we are tourists. However, if it stays at 30 days come this December, that’s what we’ll be coming for as we just can’t be arsed applying for 60 day visas in advance or losing a day at immigration for an extension?

If you are au fait with "losing a day at immigration for an extension" and "can’t be arsed applying for 60 day visas", then I would say you aren't the "genuine tourist" that @JWNZ was referring to.

Too many tourists now don’t need it

15 hours ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

AND YET Vietnam is introducing a 3 MONTH VISA ON ARRIVAL. oh well all off to Vietnam at least they speak English better 

 

The Vietnamese speak better English? Yea right.................????