Thai Embassy in New Zealand increases visa fee 600%

[Jenkins9039]

Good to see the plebs get hit like us with the Elite, from 500,000 per five years to 900,000 lol.

[Pattaya57]

1 hour ago, george said:

 

Yes, USD as the source is an American visa info site.

So what's the point of the post as already on New Zealand Embassy website in New Zealand dollars that they actually have to pay (not some converted US$ rate)

 

[farangbuffalo]

So no confirmation yet if this is worldwide or just NZ?

[StayinThailand2much]

On 2/27/2024 at 6:49 PM, gomangosteen said:

But still the option of 30 days visa-exempt. Minimal impact, more interesting is whether they intend to increase fees from other countries by a similar %.

 

Rates are set (in baht) by the Foreign Ministry, not by individual embassies, so, yes, it's coming. Will much higher rates have much of an impact for short-stay tourists? Probably not, but it might change long-term plans for some expats. 

 

Also, if they change all visa applications to online ones, does that mean that one can only apply in one's home country? Travelling back home just to apply for another Thailand visa? - Yeah, right! 

[StayinThailand2much]

On 2/27/2024 at 6:44 PM, Accidental Tourist said:

Good that the world is full of pretty destination without paying such extortion entry fee; there a even destination where you can make a week holiday with this amount. Thailand definitely goodbye...

 

Correct. While I'd like to travel to Bhutan, I won't, as I don't like to pay extortionate fees. Perhaps Thailand wants to go that way; rich but few tourists... Good luck with that!

[mstevens]

8 hours ago, farangbuffalo said:

So no confirmation yet if this is worldwide or just NZ?

 

This new system is supposed to come in to effect on March 19, 15 days from now. When can we expect embassies in USA / Europe / Other Places to announce it? This week? Next week? You'd hope they would announce it soon so people were aware and could apply using the current system and prices.

[HauptmannUK]

21 minutes ago, mstevens said:

 

This new system is supposed to come in to effect on March 19, 15 days from now. When can we expect embassies in USA / Europe / Other Places to announce it? This week? Next week? You'd hope they would announce it soon so people were aware and could apply using the current system and prices.

If you have a trip planned in the next few months then it would be prudent to apply now.  My wife (Thai) and I usually split our time between UK and Thailand - with 2x 3-month visits each year. Myself entering on a 90-day  'Family non-O'.  We have a trip booked for May so I shall apply for the visa next week.

If these new fees come to pass then we won't be doing any more 90-day trips. It'll be 30 days Thailand then a visit for a few weeks to somewhere like Vietnam or Japan, back to Thailand for 30 days etc. 

Rather irksome that the Russians get a 90 day waiver. Still, up to the Thais to choose their preferred visitor demographic I guess.

[Hummin]

On 2/27/2024 at 12:41 PM, KannikaP said:

So why will this not apply to ALL countries?

And what has the exchange rate got to do with it, quote the price in THB and any moron  potential visitor can work that out in his own currency.

Your government do not prioritize Thailand with bilateral trade deals. Ask your embassy in Thailand whats going on? How is the  visa possibilities for thais visiting Thailand? 

[beautifulthailand99]

Thanks, Thailand just back from a 3 months stay in our condo spent around 350k fed up with the smoke and filthy air. Will give it a miss next year so you can kiss goodbye to another 350k. Your loss.

[Pattaya57]

4 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

This new system is supposed to come in to effect on March 19, 15 days from now. When can we expect embassies in USA / Europe / Other Places to announce it? This week? Next week? You'd hope they would announce it soon so people were aware and could apply using the current system and prices.

Thai Consulate in Australia also just announced new e-visa system will come into effect March 19. No increase of fees though (not yet anyway)

[mania]

18 hours ago, farangbuffalo said:

So no confirmation yet if this is worldwide or just NZ?

There is no way it would be only NZ

 

The only explanation is someone at NZ office jumped the gun posting it...but if true & goes into effect in NZ it will surely be enforced worldwide

[mania]

On 2/27/2024 at 1:49 AM, gomangosteen said:

But still the option of 30 days visa-exempt. Minimal impact,

Well that 30 day visa waiver may be because they want to take part in the visa waiver program.

 

If they pulled that they might lose benefits for Thai's wanting to go to other countries in that program too. Although Thailand is not one of the 41 countries currently in the program I'd imagine they aspire to be

 

That aside ...sadly the 30 day visa waiver is probably exactly the type of tourist Thailand wants...Come bring/spend money then get the H*ll out

[beautifulthailand99]

This looks like a money grab pure and simple to balance the government books. Probably something to make their embassy network self-financing, maybe ? Whatever, for my usual 3 months IMM-O marriage visa to go from £60 to £365 is borderline criminal and if the MFA is on a fund-rasing drive I would fully expect the shake-down to be right across the board. And if the 3-month visa free still exists for Russians continues past the current expiry of 30th April 2024 - double ouch !

 

https://visaguide.world/news/thailand-introduces-higher-visa-fees-for-new-zealand/

 

https://fukuoka.thaiembassy.org/en/content/ac041023?cate=5ee71d3eb58aa61433490366

[ravip]

On 2/27/2024 at 4:56 PM, Pouatchee said:

bageeeeezzzzz... who else but ruskies and chinese and indians do they want here?

Thats where the money is LOL

[TheFishman1]

I’m here on the retirement extension. What will be the new price for that yearly

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

This looks like a money grab pure and simple to balance the government books. Probably something to make their embassy network self-financing, maybe ? Whatever, for my usual 3 months IMM-O marriage visa to go from £60 to £365 is borderline criminal and if the MFA is on a fund-rasing drive I would fully expect the shake-down to be right across the board. And if the 3-month visa free still exists for Russians continues past the current expiry of 30th April 2024 - double ouch !

 

https://visaguide.world/news/thailand-introduces-higher-visa-fees-for-new-zealand/

 

https://fukuoka.thaiembassy.org/en/content/ac041023?cate=5ee71d3eb58aa61433490366

We're going to miss you, Write if you find work. 

[beautifulthailand99]

3 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

We're going to miss you, Write if you find work. 

I have plenty of money, a house in London and a condo in Jomtien all paid for - just tired of Thailand tbh having visited it every year for 20 years, worked there for a year and overwintered for 3 months for the last 5 and if I wasn't married wouldn't be going there again. Been everywhere, seen everything in my nearly 3 years living in the country in total. There's a whole world that isn't it.

 

Wintering in say Spain or Canary Islands with clean air, great infrastructure and natural beauty and 2 - 4 hour flights are much more enticing. I'll save say 400 quid on the flight difference and 350 quid on the visa. That's £750 into the pot from the off. So there's nothing to miss..... especially the smoke !

[Yellowtail]

3 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

I have plenty of money, a house in London and a condo in Jomtien all paid for - just tired of Thailand tbh having visited it every year for 20 years, worked there for a year and overwintered for 3 months for the last 5 and if I wasn't married wouldn't be going there again. Been everywhere, seen everything in my nearly 3 years living in the country in total. There's a whole world that isn't it.

I'm a little short, can you let me hold something until my brother gets straightened out?

3 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

 

Wintering in say Spain or Canary Islands with clean air, great infrastructure and natural beauty and 2 - 4 hour flights are much more enticing. I'll save say 400 quid on the flight difference and 350 quid on the visa. That's £750 into the pot from the off. So there's nothing to miss..... especially the smoke !

Go with God brother, you show them!

[beautifulthailand99]

9 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

I'm a little short, can you let me hold something until my brother gets straightened out?

Go with God brother, you show them!

You're just a troll, probably one with no options other than to suck it up probably clacking away furiously drunk in your rented condo sweltering under a fan eating mama noodles washed down with lao khao and soda and seeing if there are enough baht for another visit to Bush Mountain or failing that PornHub. Have a great day don't forget to keep taking the meds !

[Yellowtail]

Just now, beautifulthailand99 said:

You're just a troll, probably one with no options other than to suck it up probably clacking away furiously drunk in your rented condo sweltering under a fan eating mama noodles washed down with lao khao and soda and seeing if there are enough baht for another visit to Bush Mountain or failing that PornHub. Have a great day don'tty forget to keep taking the meds !

I don't drink, I don't live in a condo, I do like the tum-yum Mama noodles now and then, I keep the AC at 23 and I'm on a marriage visa, so I don't think It costs me much to stay here visa wise. 

 

PS: Do you not like those Mama Noodles? I know they're cr*p, but they are tasty. 

 

PSS: Bush Mountain? That right there is funny! 

 

 

[HauptmannUK]

If these increased costs really do come to pass then its going to have a profound effect on visitor behaviour.  And the cost on in-country extensions will need to rise accordingly.  The ME tourist visa looks particularly unattractive when a 30 day visa waiver entry is available.  

Also those of us with Thai family will switch away from 90-day Non-O to multiple 30-day entries.

At the moment a 90-day costs £60, which I accept. But £380+ is a bit much to stomach, even though I consider myself reasonably affluent.  I could do 3x 30-day free entries interleaved with two side trips to neighbouring countries and that £385 would go a long way toward paying for those trips.

And the 1-year ME N-O at about £1000 looks terrible value for over-50s when you can pay an agent less than half that for a retirement visa.  So will they clamp down on number of visa waiver entries and radically increase the price of extensions?

[beautifulthailand99]

11 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

If these increased costs really do come to pass then its going to have a profound effect on visitor behaviour.  And the cost on in-country extensions will need to rise accordingly.  The ME tourist visa looks particularly unattractive when a 30 day visa waiver entry is available.  

Also those of us with Thai family will switch away from 90-day Non-O to multiple 30-day entries.

At the moment a 90-day costs £60, which I accept. But £380+ is a bit much to stomach, even though I consider myself reasonably affluent.  I could do 3x 30-day free entries interleaved with two side trips to neighbouring countries and that £385 would go a long way toward paying for those trips.

And the 1-year ME N-O at about £1000 looks terrible value for over-50s when you can pay an agent less than half that for a retirement visa.  So will they clamp down on number of visa waiver entries and radically increase the price of extensions?

Yup that's what I would do 30 day VOA and then a side trip to Laos for a couple of weeks and then one more month and back home or skip a year either way Thailand loses ££.

[beautifulthailand99]

24 minutes ago, HauptmannUK said:

If these increased costs really do come to pass then its going to have a profound effect on visitor behaviour.  And the cost on in-country extensions will need to rise accordingly.  The ME tourist visa looks particularly unattractive when a 30 day visa waiver entry is available.  

Also those of us with Thai family will switch away from 90-day Non-O to multiple 30-day entries.

At the moment a 90-day costs £60, which I accept. But £380+ is a bit much to stomach, even though I consider myself reasonably affluent.  I could do 3x 30-day free entries interleaved with two side trips to neighbouring countries and that £385 would go a long way toward paying for those trips.

And the 1-year ME N-O at about £1000 looks terrible value for over-50s when you can pay an agent less than half that for a retirement visa.  So will they clamp down on number of visa waiver entries and radically increase the price of extensions?

I would guess if agents are still in the game (and why wouldn't they be)  then it will be £1000 + the agents cut on top. Then add on potential taxation on remittances into the country, and we have the recipe for a perfect storm.

[HauptmannUK]

2 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

I would guess if agents are still in the game (and why wouldn't they be)  then it will be £1000 + the agents cut on top. Then add on potential taxation on remittances into the country, and we have the recipe for a perfect storm.

What's the current price for Extension of Stay - ฿1900 ?  Plus multi-entry permit which is ฿3800.  So less than ฿6k total. Would they really increase that to ฿40k+ (£1000) ?.  I doubt it. 

[mania]

10 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

Also those of us with Thai family will switch away from 90-day Non-O to multiple 30-day entries.

 

Same thing my wife & I initially thought we would likely do if the prices wen 500% up like their suggesting.

But after we thought about it paying $2500-$3000 avg for our flights then staying only 30 days instead of 90?

We think that juice is not worth the squeeze.

 

So if this goes as suggested with $488 prices on a Non Imm 90 day visa based on marriage to visit family & our home there...We we think we would switch it from yearly to once every 3-5 years

 

Sad though as we would like to visit family & out home there...but really it would not be worth it when so many nice alternative destinations exist

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, mania said:

 

Same thing my wife & I initially thought we would likely do if the prices wen 500% up like their suggesting.

But after we thought about it paying $2500-$3000 avg for our flights then staying only 30 days instead of 90?

We think that juice is not worth the squeeze.

 

So if this goes as suggested with $488 prices on a Non Imm 90 day visa based on marriage to visit family & our home there...We we think we would switch it from yearly to once every 3-5 years

 

Sad though as we would like to visit family & out home there...but really it would not be worth it when so many nice alternative destinations exist

You pay $2,500 for airfare alone, but $488 for a 90-day visa is a deal-breaker? And so much so that you would not visit your family?  I hate price increases as much as the next guy, but that does not make a lot of sense to me. 

 

It's like waiting in the car at the national park while you family goes in, because it costs you a dollar and it only costs them a quarter. 

 

 

[gomangosteen]

41 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

You pay $2,500 for airfare alone, but $488 for a 90-day visa is a deal-breaker? And so much so that you would not visit your family?  I hate price increases as much as the next guy, but that does not make a lot of sense to me. 

 

It's like waiting in the car at the national park while you family goes in, because it costs you a dollar and it only costs them a quarter. 

 

 

Agree with you on that one!

 

For around six years until Aug 2022 I was working in NZ on 3mth and 6mth contracts, return flights varied from under NZ$1000 (best was $899 - so good I bought two) to NZ$2200 depending on how much in advance I could book, and seasonal fare increases, never gave a thought to not flying here to try and save a few $. 

 

I like the national park example. Read a review of the National Maritime Museum where the farang said he did remain in his car 'on principle' because family paid 40 baht and it was 100 for him. Must have been a fun ride home with a sulky old git at the wheel.

 

Back to the NZ Embassy fee and service change - disappointing they will no longer accept in-person applications as I always found them exceptionally helpful (convenient as I was working in Wellington), business was quiet enough that the last time I was there the person at the counter went through my documents, put ticks and initials on each page while i waited and confirmed all OK and it would be approved, pick up in two working days, and received an email the day after, confirming I could collect the following morning.

[mania]

2 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

You pay $2,500 for airfare alone, but $488 for a 90-day visa is a deal-breaker? And so much so that you would not visit your family?  I hate price increases as much as the next guy, but that does not make a lot of sense to me.

 

Well no of course not

The point is the total price is not worth the value of the visit per year.

It was actually not just this Visa 500% increase but instead just perhaps the final straw

 

The $2500 is just the International air fare which has increased a lot since COVID.

We use to travel for $1400 airfare...

 

Then travel insurance is roughly $300 & we always buy it as we are sports folks + other fees for various things. Because of where our homes are both here & in Thailand there are also smaller flights to & from + hotels here & there before we even reach our Thai home In our case by the time it all adds up for just a 30 day visit  THAT is what is not worth it for us.

The total for a trip is just tipped past what it is fair value "in our" minds for an every year trip

 

We of course will still visit just not yearly is all...

BTW: it is my Thai wife who has said this is poor value & yes I agree.

For that price we would like to switch it up a bit or stay here & do more at home

 

 

[Dexxter]

On 2/29/2024 at 1:44 AM, Masterton said:

 

Yeah I don't think that is correct... The visa is valid for 6 months meaning you can only use it up until the expiry date. If you enter 1 day before the visa expires then you can get stamped in for 2 months (plus you can extend 1 month at immigration), so techinically you can get +/- 9 months usage out of it, but there is no resetting the validity date upon re-entry that I am aware of.

Chances are the IO will deny you entry after a while because you are not using the "correct" visa. I think it would be risky to expect a continuous 9 month stay on a tourist visa.

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, Dexxter said:

Chances are the IO will deny you entry after a while because you are not using the "correct" visa. I think it would be risky to expect a continuous 9 month stay on a tourist visa.

It's either legal or it isn't.