TAT Adopts Cautious Approach to Visa Fee Waiver Scheme

[webfact]

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Tourism Authority of Thailand is taking a cautious approach toward implementing a visa fee waiver scheme to attract more foreign tourists.

 

In response to tourism operators urging the government to offer a visa fee waiver scheme to stimulate the market, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn stated that it may not be the best strategy, given that the main issue is currently the lengthy waiting period during the visa application process.

 

He noted that this strategy previously faced problems regarding how tour package prices would be cut to benefit tourists since the TAT offered this scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was denied by the relevant authorities in charge of the issue.

 

Tourism has been gradually picking up, but experts predict that the market will only achieve less than 50% of the level seen in 2019, which reached a peak of around 10 million visitors.

 

The TAT governor said that in addition to the slow recovery of the Chinese economy, flight shortages due to airlines facing shortages on the supply side such as aircraft and maintenance play an important factor in slowing its recovery.

 

There is, however, hope for a boost in visitor numbers in October during China’s "Golden Week" holiday, as airlines are scheduled to increase their services to handle the increase in passengers during that period.

 

Meanwhile, In an effort to revitalize tourism, Thai Lion Air is set to open six new routes to Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Xi’an from August 15. These new routes will utilize Boeing 737–800 and Boeing 737-900ER aircraft. Currently, Thai Lion Air operates 15 aircraft in its fleet, consisting of 13 B737-800s and two B737-900ERs.

 

Thai AirAsia has also shown promising signs with an average load factor of 80% on Chinese routes during the first half of the year, with 13 operational routes to 12 destinations in China. The airline said that it will gradually resume its routes to southern China and hopes to fully recover by the end of this year, both in terms of destinations and frequencies.

 

by Krajangwit Johjit

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230728010709671

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-07-28

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

[flyingtlger]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

visa fee waiver scheme...

What is a scheme in slang?

 

Scheming is an adjective that describes someone who is always doing sneaky things to make things happen, like your scheming friend who invites you to a family party because she secretly wants you to meet her adorable cousin. A scheme is a plan of action that is usually secret or kept hidden.

 

Scheming to nickel and dime ya....

[Gknrd]

Silly Thai's, don't use Boeing use the new C919. That will pack em in like sardines. And ditch all US and EU aircraft for the domestic flights with the C919.  You will be in Xi's good graces before you can say "cat in a hat"   Come on TOT get with the program.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Gknrd

[Olav Seglem]

And what does this article mean ?

Just a lot of words and statistics -as usual?? :-)

 

[2baht]

Can we rip them off without them knowing??? Any rip off is worth a try! 

[stoner]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourism has been gradually picking up, but experts predict that the market will only achieve less than 50% of the level seen in 2019, which reached a peak of around 10 million visitors.

just the other day they said that 15m tourists had already been here in 2023. 

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, stoner said:

just the other day they said that 15m tourists had already been here in 2023. 

agree .... they just lie continuously ....  it's the thai way ..     haha

[ikke1959]

visa free, but most tourist don't stay longer than 3 weeks and will be scammed by entrance fees, overpriced taxis and more expensive hotels and treatments by doctors, etc etc. .  Tourists can wait to come

[peter zwart]

Tourism has been gradually picking up, but experts predict that the market will only achieve less than 50% of the level seen in 2019, which reached a peak of around 10 million visitors.

 

So we have the TAT and we have "Experts." 

[jacko45k]

53 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Can we rip them off without them knowing??? Any rip off is worth a try! 

Moving the cost from visas and such on arrival, and onto entrance prices to National Parks etc seems to be the latest cunning plan.......

Edited July 27, 2023 by jacko45k

[Sydebolle]

The two tier pricing with increased (partly doubled) ticket price for the infidel, second-class alien, will do the rest - welcome to Thailand! 

[Kerryd]

Funny because in 2019 the number of "arrivals" was nearly 40 million.

Now they are saying it was only 10 million "tourists" ?

I guess the other 30 million "arrivals" were Thais coming back from holidays in other countries.

[2baht]

5 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Now they are saying it was only 10 million "tourists" ?

I think some of those were Burmese laborers! 

[steven100]

truly ,     the TAT office staff who walk into the meeting room and have to listen and type this bs up must laugh to themselves about all the garbage numbers these idiots spew out everytime.

They couldn't stay serious surely     !

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

What is a scheme in slang?

Scam?

[stix40]

Maybe should read

Visa Fee Waiver Scam !

 

[RichardColeman]

52 minutes ago, peter zwart said:

Tourism has been gradually picking up, but experts predict that the market will only achieve less than 50% of the level seen in 2019, which reached a peak of around 10 million visitors.

 

So we have the TAT and we have "Experts." 

Agreed - TAT 40 million, Experts - 10 million - guess the experts do not count migrant workers

[Skeptic7]

LOS = Land of Schemes

[Captain Monday]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

What is a scheme in slang?

 

Scheming is an adjective that describes someone who is always doing sneaky things to make things happen, like your scheming friend who invites you to a family party because she secretly wants you to meet her adorable cousin. A scheme is a plan of action that is usually secret or kept hidden.

 

Scheming to nickel and dime ya....

Time to get with the programme. Not everyone in the English speaking world, and apparently most here do not think read and write in Americanisms.

 

Nothing devious or underhanded about TAT's potential visa fee waiver scheme.

 

「From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Crimescheme1 /skiːm/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun [countable] 1 British English an official plan that is intended to help people in some way, for example by providing education or training SYN program American English The money will be used for teacher training ...」

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

What is a scheme in slang?

 

Scheming is an adjective that describes someone who is always doing sneaky things to make things happen, like your scheming friend who invites you to a family party because she secretly wants you to meet her adorable cousin. A scheme is a plan of action that is usually secret or kept hidden.

 

Scheming to nickel and dime ya....

https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/generation/the-snowy-scheme/

[pomchop]

How about being just a tiny bit more user friendly???

 

Just finished applying for e visa tourist visa online:

 

Took me approximately 5 ++ hours to do it...take and then try and download this pic and that pic and it won't work...then it says oh that pic of you may not be acceptable...took and downloaded 6 different pics of me standing against solid white wall and it says no good....then not sure how you are suppose to download pages of your passports with all the stamps from past year which cover different pages in passport but u can only down load one  pic of one page?

 

  and of course flights, bank statements, pics of me holding my passport, drivers license, and then of course is a declaration form that must be signed but you can't sign online and since no printer have to go somewhere and  get it printed, sign and then take a pic to download (unless you want to find a site that lets you convert and sign online which is also a pain in the butt.....and on and on and on...and nearly everytime you have to leave the site to get another pic out of a file it kicks you off then you get to go through all the sign on, password, captiva etc to get back then click next next next to get back to where you were..

 

Good think i really want to return to thailand or i would have said forget it....absurdly non user friendly site...whoever created this site is a sadist.

 

I did same gyrations last year and far as i can remember they have not fixed one single glitch or made any attempt to make it more user friendly....

[sandyf]

27 minutes ago, stix40 said:

Maybe should read

Visa Fee Waiver Scam !

 

You mean like the visa exemption scheme.

 

Foreigners entering Thailand by any means under the Visa Exemption scheme are required at the port of entry to have proof of planned travel (confirmed air, train, bus, or boat tickets) to leave Thailand within 30 days of the arrival date. Otherwise, a visa must be obtained before entering Thailand.

https://oslo.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-exemption?menu=60b4c9a7180a9f3d4f28a932

[nickmondo]

they forget that people come here, get ripped off, go home, tell everyone about it, and dont return.  so thailand loses return visitors and potential new ones that no longer want to come

[Dexxter]

6 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

like your scheming friend who invites you to a family party because she secretly wants you to meet her adorable cousin

Nothing wrong with that scheme. I could go for it. ????

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

God forbid the current Thai Government who openly state they want more tourists, that they make it easier, must have a visas, hike the prices of visiting tourist attractions, tout, entry or exit fee. Then complain not enough coming. 

 

Only here in the Land of Incompetence and stupidity coupled with open corruption  can you see this happening and they want tourists...Really where certainly NOT HERE unless there is a buck to be made 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Nicholas Paul KNIGHT

[2BOB]

I had areturant in Ching Mai night bazar for 10 years .Had 1 table of 6 Chinese , PIG the lot of them food every , spit , and demand 70% discount. Said now worries . All staff said no more chinese 10 minutes later they had put up a 1x2meter sign up out front , by the end of the week another 16 restaurant's had the same sign out front PIGS the lot of them

[Dexxter]

1 minute ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

God forbid the current Thai Government who openly state they want more tourists, that they make it easier, must have a visas, hike the prices of visiting tourist attractions, tout, entry or exit fee. Then complain not enough coming. 

 

Only here in the Land of Incompetence and stupidity coupled with open corruption  can you see this happening and they want tourists...Really where certainly NOT HERE unless there is a buck to be made 

I suspect they are mainly aiming for the gullible Chinese and the desperate ruzzians. Maybe Indians still.

[sambum]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

agree .... they just lie continuously ....  it's the thai way ..     haha

l trust TAT's statistics as much as I would trust this man's!

Edited July 28, 2023 by sambum

[steven100]

4 minutes ago, sambum said:

l trust TAT's statistics as much as I would trust this man's!

yes ....  he's saying ......    ' everything's fine .. i've checked it all    !   now if you'll just sign here    !    '  ????

[sambum]

1 hour ago, nickmondo said:

they forget that people come here, get ripped off, go home, tell everyone about it, and dont return.  so thailand loses return visitors and potential new ones that no longer want to come

I have been saying this for years - TAT are notorious for painting a rosy picture with mind blowing statistics, and a barrel load of excuses why their predictions didn't happen. ("More tricks than a circus dawg"!) 

One of the best ones I saw was them trying to explain where all the supposed tourists were to business people in the tourist areas by saying "They're all in the North of the country exploring the "real" Thailand!!! ????