Visa exemptions for China and Kazakhstan nationals start on September 25

[snoop1130]

 

Thailand will grant a five-month visa exemption to Chinese and Kazakhstani tourists, starting on September 25, in an effort to boost arrivals over the yearend, said PM Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday.

 

The arrivals of Chinese tourists during the first seven months of this year have fallen short of target.

 

Speaking after chairing his first cabinet meeting, Srettha said Kazakhstan tourists were included due to the harsh winter weather in the country. Moreover, tourists from the central Asian country have shown interest in visiting Thailand, Srettha said. The exemption will end in February and the government will assess the impact, he added.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/visa-exemptions-for-china-and-kazakhstan-nationals-start-on-september-25/

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-09-13

 

- 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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[VillageIdiot]

I see one coming from Kazakhstan already... he must have heard the good news.

[Deserted]

The Chinese don't like to spend money when they arrive in Thailand though and stay in their hotels. They should focus on tourists who stimulate the economy more and actually show an interest in the culture and country more willingly.

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Deserted said:

The Chinese don't like to spend money when they arrive in Thailand though and stay in their hotels. They should focus on tourists who stimulate the economy more and actually show an interest in the culture and country more willingly.

Some data going around that more modern Chinese visitors are independent travelers and spend quite a lot. You may be thinking of those being herded behind flags. 

[Deserted]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Some data going around that more modern Chinese visitors are independent travelers and spend quite a lot. You may be thinking of those being herded behind flags. 

Yes that's right that's mostly who I see but when I lived in China I often asked people why they liked to go to Thailand and they all said because its cheap.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Deserted said:

Yes that's right that's mostly who I see but when I lived in China I often asked people why they liked to go to Thailand and they all said because its cheap.

If they feel it is cheap, it suggests they spend.... the tour groups are aways taken into a lot of shops, and Thais love to sell cheap junk!

[Deserted]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

If they feel it is cheap, it suggests they spend.... the tour groups are aways taken into a lot of shops, and Thais love to sell cheap junk!

Well the women I used to work with and talk about this to said she liked it because she didn't have to spend any money but then said before she left she liked to fill her bag and then sell the products when she got home to make a profit out of it!

[2baht]

13 minutes ago, Deserted said:

They should focus on tourists who stimulate the economy more and actually show an interest in the culture and country more willingly.

They should focus on providing a good, safe, honest, quality service to tourists!

[Deserted]

I wouldn't hold your breathe on that one. 

[Deserted]

I wouldn't hold your breathe on that one. 

[Spilornis]

48 minutes ago, Deserted said:

Well the women I used to work with and talk about this to said she liked it because she didn't have to spend any money but then said before she left she liked to fill her bag and then sell the products when she got home to make a profit out of it!

This is known in the Chinese media as the suitcase trade. It used to be enormous between HK and the mainland. Post the pandemic it has almost disappeared as the goods commonly carried across the border (perfume etc) were often cheaper on the mainland than in HK.

I wonder if the same has happened with relative prices between Thailand and China.

On a more general note I don't understand these short term visa changes. Why five months only. Change the rules and if it doesn't work change them back.

Separately, foreign tourism into China is almost non existent but I doubt they will change their archaic visa system. ( I hate paperwork for genuine tourism.)

Edited September 14, 2023 by Spilornis

[RichardColeman]

Seems to me tourism numbers mean more than tourism spending !

[Deserted]

Think so yes but they have had a drive to attract a better class of tourist, as they put it, for some time now.

[hydraides]

That so UNFAIR to western tourists who have supported thai tourism and economy over the COVID pandemic whilst China citizens were locked away in their own country

 

GIVE it to europeans also.

Edited September 14, 2023 by hydraides

[jacko45k]

Just now, hydraides said:

That so UNFAIR to western tourists who have supported thai tourism over the COVID pandemic whilst China citizens were locked away in their own country

 

GIVE it to europeans also.

I am confused, pretty much all of Europe gets Visa Exempt entry to  Thailand already. And it is hardly like they return the favour for Thai travelers to Europe.

[hydraides]

18 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I am confused, pretty much all of Europe gets Visa Exempt entry to  Thailand already. And it is hardly like they return the favour for Thai travelers to Europe.

The article is very poorly written, Its written as though Chinese/Kazak will get 5 months visa free stay from one visa exempt

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, hydraides said:

The article is very poorly written, Its written as though Chinese/Kazak will get 5 months visa free stay from one visa exempt

I am presuming they will get 30 days of Visa exempt like most do, although I have not seen it stated yet. It is said it will be a temporary measure for the high season, although I would expect Chinese NY to be included. Not sure if putting that genie back in the bottle will be easy, but it was done for the post Covid measures.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, Deserted said:

The Chinese don't like to spend money when they arrive in Thailand though and stay in their hotels. They should focus on tourists who stimulate the economy more and actually show an interest in the culture and country more willingly.

You've probably never boarded a plane at BKK going to China.

 

I've boarded dozens in the past 12 years.  6 this year.  The Chinese that I see are absolutely loaded up with goodies that they've bought in Thailand.  

 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

You've probably never boarded a plane at BKK going to China.

 

I've boarded dozens in the past 12 years.  6 this year.  The Chinese that I see are absolutely loaded up with goodies that they've bought in Thailand.  

 

I have noticed them throng the VAT tax rebate kiosk in departures too. 

[Cake Monster]

The Kazakhstan visa were given to them because  " its cold there "

[bamnutsak]

Kazakhstan?

 

Really?

 

Are there any direct, non-stop flights between Thailand and Kazakhstan?

 

Why not India, second only to China on the VOA list?

 

This is a Visa Exemption right? And not a "free" Visa which needs to be obtained prior to travel or on arrival? Duration? 15 days? 30 days? Can be extended?

 

 

[Hakuna Matata]

This is a move in the wrong direction.

 

It will attract even more "quality tourists" to Thailand!

 

More casinos, gambling dens, prostitution, crypto currency scams, call center gangs!

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, hydraides said:

That so UNFAIR to western tourists who have supported thai tourism and economy over the COVID pandemic whilst China citizens were locked away in their own country

 

GIVE it to europeans also.

Are you saying that the western tourists went to Thailand specifically to support the tourism? I "supported" Macro during the pandemic but somehow they think they don't owe me anything ????

[Deli]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Thailand will grant a five-month visa exemption to Chinese and Kazakhstani tourists, starting on September 25, in an effort to boost arrivals over the yearend, said PM Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday.

 

The arrivals of Chinese tourists during the first seven months of this year have fallen short of target.

 

Speaking after chairing his first cabinet meeting, Srettha said Kazakhstan tourists were included due to the harsh winter weather in the country. Moreover, tourists from the central Asian country have shown interest in visiting Thailand, Srettha said. The exemption will end in February and the government will assess the impact, he added.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/visa-exemptions-for-china-and-kazakhstan-nationals-start-on-september-25/

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-09-13

 

- 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.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Means some blonde Kazakh hotties for Bangla and spitting Chinese for the shrimp buffets. I stay on Bangla ????

[Donbuie3]

11 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

Kazakhstan?

 

Really?

 

Are there any direct, non-stop flights between Thailand and Kazakhstan?

 

Why not India, second only to China on the VOA list?

 

This is a Visa Exemption right? And not a "free" Visa which needs to be obtained prior to travel or on arrival? Duration? 15 days? 30 days? Can be extended?

 

 

Flights from Almaty to both Bangkok and Phuket. Takes about six hours. Flew to both with Air Astana on many occasions over the last 6 years. A daily flight to both about 5 days per week. Always busy.  Just back in Almaty now waiting for an onward internal flight.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Wow, the government's timing is REALLY bad on this...

 

Just in the news in the past couple days...

 

--Phuket Immigration arrests a Chinese guy who fled China to Thailand after allegedly committing a 5 billion baht fraud in his home country... and...

 

--there was the case of the three Kazakhs who allegedly abducted and beat a businessman here, alllegedly at the direction of two Russians, in an attempt to get their hands on his crypto assets.

 

Big walking billboards for the government's new Immigration rules. ????

 

As an alternate version of a past Immigration saying used to go, "Bad guys in, good guys out!"  ????

 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Caldera]

On 9/13/2023 at 4:32 PM, snoop1130 said:

Srettha said Kazakhstan tourists were included due to the harsh winter weather in the country.

Is he the new PM or the court jester? ????

[arithai12]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Wow, the government's timing is REALLY bad on this...

 

Just in the news in the past couple days...

 

--Phuket Immigration arrests a Chinese guy who fled China to Thailand after allegedly committing a 5 billion baht fraud in his home country... and...

 

--there was the case of the three Kazakhs who allegedly abducted and beat a businessman here, alllegedly at the direction of two Russians, in an attempt to get their hands on his crypto assets.

 

Big walking billboards for the government's new Immigration rules. ????

 

As an alternate version of a past Immigration saying used to go, "Bad guys in, good guys out!"  ????

 

 

 

You know very well that similar examples could be found for western "tourists", eg the German guy tortured and cut to pieces for his assets by compatriots, the Hell's Angels gangs, the Spaniard who cut up another for crypto and threw the parts in the river, a Norwegian who killed a Brit and escaped Thailand and is now on trial in his country, a Brit who again cut up his thai gf in pieces and the list goes on.

No doubt that with making travel easier, there will be more risk of "bad guys in", but it's not just the Chinese. I think I read that before flying out they are supposed to get some check by the chinese police? I don't know the details. I am not a fan of chinese tour groups for sure, but individuals seem often ok, and anyway I doubt numbers will jump up much given the current economy there.

[bamnutsak]

10 hours ago, Donbuie3 said:

A daily flight to both about 5 days per week.

Thanks, I checked schedules and didn't see anything. But now I see some flights.

 

"Daily" flights means 7x weekly

 

It looks like ALA-BKK is 3X weekly, SU TH SA

 

ALA-HKT is 4X weekly, SU MO WE FR

 

With smaller aircraft, A32x, 767.

 

 

Just seems weird to include Kazakhstan in this temporary scheme given the relatively few pax capacity?

 

Maybe it's some sort of trade/diplo concession as Thais can travel to Kazakhstan visa-free (I think).

 

 

 

 

 

[ChipButty]

21 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

Thanks, I checked schedules and didn't see anything. But now I see some flights.

 

"Daily" flights means 7x weekly

 

It looks like ALA-BKK is 3X weekly, SU TH SA

 

ALA-HKT is 4X weekly, SU MO WE FR

 

With smaller aircraft, A32x, 767.

 

 

Just seems weird to include Kazakhstan in this temporary scheme given the relatively few pax capacity?

 

Maybe it's some sort of trade/diplo concession as Thais can travel to Kazakhstan visa-free (I think).

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe how some Russians are getting here,