1 minute ago, Kiwifarang said:

Yes, Wellington, New Zealand is moving to e-visa around mid-next month, so I think it is probably tied in with that. No more applying at the Embassy, all online.

The US has been on that system for a couple years now but fees have not changed in years and as I mentioned there isnt any notice on the US embassy website about pending increases. Those changes by that amount are crazy

22 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

They keep in line with the Thailand Elite $hit...

 

And when they say the want tourists it doesn't mean they want westerners. And I reckon that western expats are even less welcome than western tourists. Unless they can afford certain kinds of visas. Go west young man...

It's the fear of Westerners that has continued since the 1800s. I wish someone would explain to the Thais that the age of European colonization has finished. The British, French, Belgians, Dutch, Germans are no longer grabbing colonies in SEA. Thailand has nothing to fear from Europeans. 

2 minutes ago, Dan O said:

The US has been on that system for a couple years now but fees have not changed in years and as I mentioned there isnt any notice on the US embassy website about pending increases. Those changes by that amount are crazy

 

2 minutes ago, Dan O said:

The US has been on that system for a couple years now but fees have not changed in years and as I mentioned there isnt any notice on the US embassy website about pending increases. Those changes by that amount are crazy

There would be a diplomatic stoush if those fees are correct for New Zealand, but not Australia or other countries like the US and UK etc. I don't think New Zealand are in Thailand's bad books, so I'm expecting updates from other embassies in due course.

ASEANNOW will have a news story about this by tomorrow when the MFA Press secretary (Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok) is back at work after today's holiday-off.

 

Preliminary info tells me that this is actually a worldwide raise in Thailand visa fees, but this can't be confirmed until tomorrow.

 

Check our newsletter tomorrow, or subscribe here to get it: https://aseannow.com/newsletter

 

--------

UPDATE:

The Royal Thai Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, has now confirmed that the visa fee increase is certainly correct. See the Embassy reply further down in this thread, and more info.

 

 

45 minutes ago, Kiwifarang said:

Maybe Callmeishmael remembers? 

I don't recall all of the fee increases, I do remember that the amount of money to be kept in the bank for marriage or retirement doubled from 200K to 400K and (I think) 400K to 800K.  I think the actual visa fees at least doubled.  I'm sure that someone else who was around then will remember the exact figures.

2 minutes ago, grain said:

It's the fear of Westerners that has continued since the 1800s. I wish someone would explain to the Thais that the age of European colonization has finished. The British, French, Belgians, Dutch, Germans are no longer grabbing colonies in SEA. Thailand has nothing to fear from Europeans. 

That's right, we just plant military bases everywhere, such as around 750 bases in 80 countries that the US had in 2021.

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

That's bonkers.  Shirley a mistake.

Indeed hard to believe.

Who pays for a single entry Non-O as follows:

389 GBP

493 USD

465 EUR

!!!

In Berlin a single entry Non-O cost 70 EUR.

Speculating about Visa changes based on a single announcement is fruitless, but that's what we do best at AN!

 

800NZD = about 17,700 baht at this time.  It could be that we are seeing a ten-fold increase in visa fees, from 1900 baht to around 19,000 baht and the $800 figure is just a rounding error.

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

what is wrong with new Zealand? 

Their vowels.

6 minutes ago, Callmeishmael said:

Speculating about Visa changes based on a single announcement is fruitless, but that's what we do best at AN!

 

800NZD = about 17,700 baht at this time.  It could be that we are seeing a ten-fold increase in visa fees, from 1900 baht to around 19,000 baht and the $800 figure is just a rounding error.

 

Visa fees are strictly regulated from MFA (exchange rates can differ though) ...

2 hours ago, Kiwifarang said:

These are the new fees for New Zealand e.g. $300 for a 60-day tourist visa  and $NZD 800 for a single entry Non-B etc.

 

Apparently tourist numbers are down, so best way to make up the difference, shirley, is by raising the rates.

 

Somehow I'm not certain how raising the price to more than double that of a Chinese visa ($140/$210 single/double, $280 6-month multiple entry) will draw more visitors.  Elephant pants are even cheaper in China!

 

Quote

In order to further promote personnel exchanges between China and New Zealand, as of 11 December 2023, the Chinese diplomatic and consular missions in New Zealand will decrease Chinese visa application fees. This change will be effective until 31 December 2024. The revised schedule of visa fees is as follows:

 

Oh, wait!

China is reducing fees?

 

Tourist visa prices will be single/double $105/$160 or $210 for 6-month multiple entry.

 

Now who's amazing, Thailand!

hahaha if this is true retirement extensions are going to 3 million.

another hilarious fact. Canada charged my wife less for the entire permanent residency privilege than the price of a Thai 1 year non o visa.

 

what a great timing to p1ss off from Thailand. told ya so!

oh and don't forget to do your taxes 🤣😂 LOL I'm out

What is interesting is how certain countries are now being given free visas to help increase tourism and then they are preparing to raise the visa fees in other places. Hard to imagine they would double or triple them though.

52 minutes ago, Kiwifarang said:

 

There would be a diplomatic stoush if those fees are correct for New Zealand, but not Australia or other countries like the US and UK etc. I don't think New Zealand are in Thailand's bad books, so I'm expecting updates from other embassies in due course.

I agree and if it is put into effect its gonna have an impact. I wonder if this is how they plan to cover the "free" tourist insurance and also that entry fee proposal that got shelved last year. Kind of a back door method. It certainly isn't a modest increase by any means. 

31 minutes ago, george said:

Visa fees are strictly regulated from MFA (exchange rates can differ though) ...

AS well as the cost of living of the in the various locations. NZ is now of of the most expensive countries.

It seems to me that it is based on the various Thai Embassies in the world, for Switzerland nothing has always changed 80 Frs for several years.

 

https://www.thaiembassy.ch/Content/Embassy/59.html

Could be a great opportunity for Vietnam to step up

Sounds like a load of old b'llox or maybe a kiwi thing. Thailand would shoot itself in the foot if it started charging proper money for visas, while Vietnam would clean up. I mean, they've just been giving them away to the Chinese. 

26 minutes ago, Celsius said:

hahaha if this is true retirement extensions are going to 3 million.

The 800k deposit will go up inevitably, but let's be serious not to 3 million. Let's be serious, and these 800k aren't  a visa fee anyway.

me wonders how the schools going to pay for all their teachers? this hike would even apply to philipinos...

 

i call bs on this one

1 hour ago, Callmeishmael said:

I don't recall all of the fee increases, I do remember that the amount of money to be kept in the bank for marriage or retirement doubled from 200K to 400K and (I think) 400K to 800K.  I think the actual visa fees at least doubled.  I'm sure that someone else who was around then will remember the exact figures.

Found this from the fee increases made on 1 January 2004.

 

Most went up by almost 4 times the then current amount.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Huge-increase-visa-fees-next-year

The only quality tourists willing to pay these fees will be drug dealers and other scofflaws ...

3 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Found this from the fee increases made in 2003

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Huge-increase-visa-fees-next-year

 

oh yesss.... great find and

prepare to be probed

 

17 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

me wonders how the schools going to pay for all their teachers? this hike would even apply to philipinos...

 

i call bs on this one

If I recall correctly many schools ask the teacher to pay for the visa themselves, which may or may not be refunded depending on the school. Usually, the school would pay for the work permit though, but not always too. So, yes, potentially it would be expensive for schools with a high staff turnover. Would that then mean no visa refund to the teachers at some schools?

If I remember correctly, the visa fee went from 500 baht to 1900 baht, so this supposed increase is similar.

29 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

If I remember correctly, the visa fee went from 500 baht to 1900 baht, so this supposed increase is similar.

Ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) still publishes prices for Non-O single as 2000 Baht, multiple entry 5000 Baht.

From that the consulates worldwide calculate their local prices.

1900 Baht is not a visa fee. Fee for one year extension. Completely different topic.

I know about the 2000 Baht from own experience. Paid that in 2022 for a >visa!< issued by Khon Kaen immigration (a special case).

 

If this NZ price explosion would apply worldwide we would hear a lot about it. For now I put it on wait and see.

10 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

 

If this NZ price explosion would apply worldwide we would hear a lot about it. For now I put it on wait and see.

 

ASEANNOW has a media contact at MFA, I will get a confirmation from them tomorrow when she's back at work. I guess we unfortunately can expect some breaking news by tomorrow. Let's see.

Is this for new Visas issued by overseas embassies and consulates only, or does it apply to in Thailand extensions?

 

Wait and see I guess?