PM to look into extending tourist visas to 90 days

[Scouse123]

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I think you are exactly right. This in NOT a visa. Now my only thought is could we leave a for a day or week or two and come back after the 90 days with one more 90 day visa exempt? Or would it be 30 + 30 ( for 5/6 month snowbirds like myself)

Unless they limit the visa exempt of 90 days to say only one per year.

 

Just saying because none of us know yet,

 

You can guarantee that those basically using every trick in the book now to stay here without the correct permits/visas will jump on this.

 

Border runs will be back on the table big time.

 

 

 

 

 

[bamnutsak]

The PM-in-waiting was touring tourist destinations.

 

Of course everyone in these locations wants tourists to be able to enter Thailand visa exempt and be able to stay as long as they want.

 

So the PM-to-be is going to seem positive on these sorts of ideas.

 

Immigration as part of the RTP reports directly to the PM.

 

How these ideas match up against current law, and Big Joke's goals, remains to be seen.

 

Maybe move to 45 (from 30, for those ~ 64 countries), with a 30 day extension? Is that what they did during COVID/recovery? 

[mfd101]

Notice that the first report above (from Thai PBS) says he'll think about it. The second report above (from something in Phuket) says he's doing it ...

 

No suggestion (so far) of doing anything for expats.

[sambum]

3 hours ago, retarius said:

Good idea. But I have read on here that visas are very difficult to get in some jurisdictions. There was a case on here very recently where a British man was asked for proof of $10000 (?) in his bank account. He gave up in the end. They need to sort out rules which I/Os need to follow. Get rid of this nonsense where every immigration office interprets the rules in different ways. The only decent way of getting a 90 day tourist visa is to come into the country on a visa waiver then extend it at the immigration local office near to where you stay.

"Get rid of this nonsense where every immigration office interprets the rules in different ways."

 

100% correct and one of the most frustrating things about Thailand.

I was in an Immigration Office a few years ago when someone was querying some thing they were being asked to provide, and said "But there's nothing in the Immigration Rules or your checklist about that" and the I.O. replied "I make the rules here!" Which unfortunately is indeed the case in many scenarios. ???? 

[shackleton]

The visa procedure  now in place is a money maker ????for Immigration when tourists extend their stay 

Also agree if the 90 days visa is given to Tourists on arrival 

Then they should dispense with the 90 day reports for expats staying in the Country 

[skorp13]

In all fairness most tourists don't stay in one country for 90 days. It does make it easier for those that do have boots more planted on the ground here and can't meet what are ridiculous vis requirements.

 

[alex8912]

3 hours ago, pomchop said:

i sometimes wonder if they even know what the current visa policies in force are....hopefully they will indeed sort it out soon as i suspect that there are many people trying to figure out how this would impact their trip.  And as u said most people prefer to have it all sorted well in advance and not on a whim a couple of weeks out as there are flights to be booked and decisions to be made.  Just do it.

Right. Exactly like myself and many others. When foreigners are making plans for a 60 or more day trip they make plans right now , last week or before or in the next coming weeks. They also spend a lot of money no matter what some may say on here. Do they even know what a " snowbird " is??  There should seriously be a snowbird visa 180 days once a year.  Maybe $200-250Usd. Oh, and NO tell us where you are staying for 180 days BS. Lol  

[brianthainess]

oops

[pomchop]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I live in Hua Hin, where the retirees from the cold parts of the world flock to every winter. They don't retire to Thailand, they come for an extended period of time - it's not a vacation really - they live here during the cold winters, then return home.

 

They come in their thousands without fail every year, most get visas and do nonsense trips to surrounding countries to extend their stays, many of them own a holiday homes here, likely on some 30 year lease type deal - but they do not live in Thailand full time.

 

It's not a tiny percentage around these parts, the demographic may be very different where you live - but it's not the same everywhere.

 

I have neighbours on both sides of the house where I live who do this, they're in Europe right now and won't come back until October or November and they will stay for whatever they get out of the visas, they don't like unnecessary travel to other countries and I know a few who used to do that but now just stay for a month or two less each year.

 

 

 

You got it.  Snowbirds.  It is a growing market as more and more boomers really do not want to live in too cold climates in the winters but do not want to give up their home base and move to thailand full time....very understandable and a market that Thailand with warm year round weather might do well to consider courting a bit more with an easy six month type visa without having to do border runs or go stand in line at immigration etc. 

 

Maybe allowed once a year would work fine for many people.  Mexico and many other countries have a lot of snowbirds that have been doing 6 months or less there and six months or so  back in usa or canada or ? for long long time.  Overall lot of older retired types , lots of couples, who rent a place for six months, spend a good chunk of change, generally are not criminals, etc. 

 

Thailand offers a lot to these type people with perhaps the biggest overall negative is that it is a LONG flight from most places.  And since  most do not have health insurance in Thailand they may well want to return to their home country every year for six months or so to get their health care attended to as much as possilbe or go see the grandkids or whatever.  Call it the snowbird visa or whatever, promote it a bit more, keep it relatively simple, put whatever restrictions you must to prevent abuse...try it for a couple of years and if no big problem extend it indefinitely.

[nickmondo]

wont happen.

will lose all the 1,900 they charge for extensions

[Shetraveler]

It would be nice if their embassies would have standard requirements.
My insurance is ample and valid, yet they change my requirements 2-3 times during the process every year.  

[crazykopite]

Would be far better if they scrapped the 90 day reporting as it’s a total waste of time as well as paperwork .the time wasted could be used to apprehend those who abuse the visa rules by overstaying there visa status 

[pomchop]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

How many people do you know that take more than a 30 day vacation at a time? I'd say that 30 days is more than enough for all but a tiny, tiny percentage of people. Those who are wealthy and have more time on their hands choose far better places than Thailand with its many shortcomings to spend their time and money. I doubt that Thailand is on many rich people's list of places to spend months at a time.

If you are a snowbird you likely don't consider it a vacation but a second home during cold months... and i think there are a lot more of them around than a tiny percent. 

 

An attraction of thailand is the warm weather and the fact that you don't have to be on a "rich person's list' to spend winters there. Does not mean you are dirt poor but there are a lot of older folks who can easily afford Thailand that cannot afford the south of France or Hawaii or  more expensive places. There are a lot fewer rich people than there are not rich people.  Take a look at Hua Hin as to numbers of older couples who are living there in the winter months.
 

[Marco51]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The new government will consider extending tourist visa validities from 30 days to 90 days and the easing of immigration procedures, to make them more convenient for foreign tourists, said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, responding to call from tourism business operators for the government to boost the tourism industry.

 

He also said, however, that the proposal from some tourism business operators for the government to exempt entry visas for tourists from China, India and Russia is a different issue, which has security implications and has to be considered carefully.

 

The prime minister met Saturday with tourism businesses in Phang-nga province, to listen to their problems and their recommendations for tourism promotion and views on the potential of wellness and health tourism along the Andaman coast.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/pm-to-look-into-extending-tourist-visas-to-90-days/

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-08-28

 

- 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.

 

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Quite possibly he could have a quick glance at "90 days" and especially TM30 . At least for people who have a work permit and/or a longer term visa for retirement, Thai family or simply have been here many many years paying taxes, employing people, spending ALL their income here and and and....Apart from national security not being strengthened by more paper it does at times make one feel like a potential criminal that must be monitored closely.  I can see what a poor migrant bugger feels like in Europe . It might even free many buildings where all the copies and copies of copies are kept.

[blackshadow]

they just reduced it from 45 back to 30 i believe

[Caldera]

It would be an easy fix and and easy win that costs them nothing. The current government temporarily increased visa exempt entries to 45 days, the new government could simply increase them to 90 days permanently. Which would be in line with what other countries offer.

 

That would mean that tourists from visa exempt countries wouldn't need to bother with tourist visa applications and extensions anymore. They could pretty much just come and spend money.

[pomchop]

20 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

wont happen.

will lose all the 1,900 they charge for extensions

Could be true but so far it is not clear as to what would happen after the proposed 90 days expires...can you do a border run and get another 90 days and if so how many times.  Or after 90 days if you want to stay longer would u then have to go to immigration and buy an extension and how $$ and how long etc...and what impact if any on retirement visas and people who want long term visas?  Lots of questions to be dealt with.  I for one  would be happy to pay to get 90 days on arrival with one 90  extension done online for another fee rather than have to do a border run or go spend hours at immigration.

[brianthainess]

The Visa agents and Immigration officials  (and a certain bank) won't like losing a part their income. 

As for the cert. O R just make an official charge for it, not the unofficial one. could easily do away with the 90day report even, say after having one year extensions for 3-5 years.

[foreverlomsak]

4 hours ago, pomchop said:

Is that what they are saying?  As usual clear as mud.  Why is it always so difficult to make it clear what they are saying even if they have to hire a native english translator to make sure it makes sense?

They can't make it clearer, because they haven't thought it through, and was probably only said to appease he current audience, based on comments made to him at the time.

[kimamey]

4 hours ago, pomchop said:

So the tourist visa that i just got online for 60 days would be replaced by a stay of 90 days on arrival without going through online toursits visa mess?

 

So if this actually gets approved after my arrival on the 60 day tourist visa does that mean that i get less of a stay than sombody who arrives a month or so after me with no tourist visa?

 

Is that what they are saying?  As usual clear as mud.  Why is it always so difficult to make it clear what they are saying even if they have to hire a native english translator to make sure it makes sense?

I agree with the last bit, and it's not just Thailand. In some cases all it needs is an English speaker to tidy it up a bit. 

[biggles45]

The Residence Letter is a huge money maker for IO so it won't be scrapped. It's supposed to be free, but 300-500 baht cash in the IO drawer for each one is a great source of tax-free income. 

[2long]

Most posters on here are 'long termers' who are staying on a different visa, such as Non B/O.

The government wants TOURIST money, from TOURISTS. The sexpat cheap charlies that drink the cheapest beer night after night and never stay in a proper hotel are not their target.

As much as I would like this stamp/visa to be 90 days, how many 'real tourists' actually stay that long? And when I say 'real tourists' I'm excluding retired men who get a long-term accommodation rental and have friends here and don't move around the country.

[Paul Henry]

A sign of desperate times in the tourist industry. Having just spent  another month here the bars,resteraunts etc are empty of FARANG tourists, plenty of 711 Indian tourists and a few Eastern Europeans. Talking to staff at the main gathering places they are all complaining how quiet the town is. Had a week in Lao about the same as Thailand few tourists. The Thai government has to bring down the value of the Baht much better value in Cambodia and Vietnam.

[Parker2100]

I seem to remember that Tourist Visas were 60 days, not 30.

 

It is the stamp that is 30 days.

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

Thanks for the responses to my post and opening my eyes to what exists in Hua Hin.

[kennw]

5 hours ago, morning glory said:

Speaking of 90 days, could he please also get rid of the silly 90-day reporting for one year visa holders???

Its all about they money. forget to do the 90 report on time and a week late its B2000

[Cabradelmar]

No way will they allow more countries under a 90 day VER. The last thing immigration wants is people living full time in THA under VER (Visa exempt rules). It's already a cakewalk for VER countries to stay 60 days in THA on holiday (30 day VER and one 30 day extension for 1900 THB). Anyone staying longer than 60 days should have a visa. This is just a new PM plowing smoke at the tourist industries constant whining. If anything they should allow more countries under the already established 30 day VER program. 

[JackGats]

Speaking for myself (selfishly), I don't like this. There are enough hordes coming already.

[bob smith]

it's a fantastic idea and will stimulate the economy no end.

 

Why let a couple of bad apples (i.e german biker gangs) spoil the whole barrel. 

 

Thailand will win BIG if they see this through.

 

Khun Srettha, please also look at getting rid of the 90 day report for us law abiding farangs that have been living here continuously for years. Thanks! 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

I will stop working next year and this would be perfect. Back and forward between Australia and Thailand. 3 months at a time. Miss the winter. Hope it happens.