Scrapping immigration forms may boost Malaysian tourist influx in Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

Tourism professionals in Songkhla have voiced their desire for the discontinuation of the TM6 immigration paperwork as an additional border checkpoint and the eradication of extra-time service charges, as these measures continue to slow the influx of tourists from Malaysia.

 

The government gave its approval this week to scrap the TM6 forms from November 1 to April 30, 2024, at the Sadao immigration checkpoint in Songkhla.

 

By October 22, the count of arrivals from Malaysia had reached 3.54 million, surpassing the 2.7 million visitors from China. The Tourism Authority of Thailand anticipates the Malaysian market to surpass the record of 4.2 million arrivals set in 2019.

 

Songchai Mungprasithichai, the leader of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, highlighted that there are typically between 500 and 600 individuals passing through the Sadao checkpoint every hour during holiday periods, leading to tourists being held up at borders for up to an hour. He noted that although the suspension of the TM6 form would ease the flow of tourists, it could also attract visitors who usually enter via other checkpoints, resulting in further congestion.

 

To mitigate overcrowding at certain checkpoints, Songchai proposed that the government also abolish the forms at the second-busiest checkpoint, Padang Besar, located 10 kilometres from Sadao.

 

He also suggested that the Betong entry point in Yala and the Wang Prachan gateway in Satun be exempted from the form collection process, as these sites typically attract tourists from Malaysia and could assist in managing the volume of visitors in Songkhla, reported Bangkok Post.

 

By Alex Morgan

Caption: Picture courtesy of Nutthawat Wicheanbut

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-10-26

 

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[Will B Good]

No way on God's Earth.....how could Thailand survive without their TM6 being filled in, stamped and then binned.

[observer90210]

The TM6 can be a lifesaver, provided it becomes the sole and only reporting required. You fill it with your details on arrival, hand it at the airport to the nice I/O at the booth and that's it.

 

Any other reporting, change of address not be required anymore. Foreigners are getting fed up in having to fill forms or going online throughout their winter stay in Thailand that usually goes from 3 to a bit less then 6 months now (to avoid the thunder of the taxman on the 181st day of stay!!).

 

That would be useful and create less paperwork for the immigration and boost tourism maybe but mainly encourage the quality expats-retirees to stay and not leave. The people on long stay 3 months, 6 months or more,  spend far more then the 2 week "quality tourists".

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, observer90210 said:

The TM6 can be a lifesaver, provided it becomes the sole and only reporting required. You fill it with your details on arrival, hand it at the airport to the nice I/O at the booth and that's it.

 

Any other reporting, change of address not be required anymore. Foreigners are getting fed up in having to fill forms or going online throughout their winter stay in Thailand that usually goes from 3 to a bit less then 6 months now (to avoid the thunder of the taxman on the 181st day of stay!!).

 

That would be useful and create less paperwork for the immigration and boost tourism maybe but mainly encourage the quality expats-retirees to stay and not leave. The people on long stay 3 months, 6 months or more,  spend far more then the 2 week "quality tourists".

You do know there is no TM6 on airport arrival.....life saver gone!

[observer90210]

4 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

You do know there is no TM6 on airport arrival.....life saver gone!

Yes they have abolished it. But what the point was in the initial comment is that it could be a good idea to restablish and consequently not require any further reporting. Thanks you for your interest.

[khunjeff]

19 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Foreigners are getting fed up in having to fill forms or going online throughout their winter stay in Thailand that usually goes from 3 to a bit less then 6 months

 

19 hours ago, observer90210 said:

it could be a good idea to restablish and consequently not require any further reporting.

 

You do know that the vast, vast majority of visitors to Thailand spend less than three weeks here, and never have to do any reporting or form-filling of any kind after their initial entry?

[observer90210]

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

 

 

You do know that the vast, vast majority of visitors to Thailand spend less than three weeks here, and never have to do any reporting or form-filling of any kind after their initial entry?

You do know that the forms cirted were aimes obviously at the expats and retirees living here and who spend far more then the "quality russian or chinese" tourists ?

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, khunjeff said:

You do know that the vast, vast majority of visitors to Thailand spend less than three weeks here, and never have to do any reporting or form-filling of any kind after their initial entry?

This is true.... yet there is a large building that is frequently packed taking millions of baht in, located on Jomtiem's soi 5.