Big Thailand visa changes from June 1

[Farangus]

42 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The unconfirmed list, from Thai media reports, of the new countries being added to the visa exempt list, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to release the official list:

Thank you! Unfortunately, I did not find my country in the center of Europe on this list (it seems that the citizens of Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more important for Thailand). Maybe you have a new list of countries for visas on arrival?

[george]

2 minutes ago, Farangus said:

Thank you! Unfortunately, I did not find my country in the center of Europe on this list (it seems that the citizens of Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more important for Thailand). Maybe you have a new list of countries for visas on arrival?

 

We are waiting for both lists from MFA. Not yet arrived.

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, Bvor said:

depends on what limits are applied to multiple visa exempts. eg if the limit is say 2 per year then a 60 day tourist visa would come into play for next entry same year.

no change to number of visa exempts mentioned

[JoeyMac]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

this could be the end of Thailand as a desirable tourist destination. I fail to see how the current tourist hotspots can cope with any more visitors.

Infrastructure, environment, everything is already stretched to the limit. Thailand's natural resources - the source of the industry - will be decimated.

 

 

I notice some on here are getting excited simply because they have less paper work to do to stay longer. However, for those of us who have loved Thailand for many decades this is really appalling news. This news means the country is now an open door to everyone. As a result we will see visitors numbers (which are currently projected to hit around 40-50 million this year) to possibly 100 million (which is their target). 

 

Having some restrictions on entry is welcome to keep checks and balances, that also protect the local population from being over run, from illegal migrants that will take up work, pushing up rents for locals (and immigrants here legally), and generally mass human over tourism. 

 

 

How anyone can sit there in their condo, or island they're on and say we need to double the number of visitors here and it will make no difference to us. Look around you, look at the traffic, look at the pollution, looks at the massive numbers that are everywhere - then imagine that doubled. That price of the condo you sleep in will go up. 

 

I have news for you - it's going to spoil things on massive level. 

 

A simple perspective, even countries that reply heavily on tourism and overseas investment have visas in place for Indian and Chinese visitors. Very few countries in the world allow complete visa free access for these countries for this amount of time. It's basically an open door policy. 

 

I fully support Thailand needing to do something to reinvigorate their economy, but a mass open door policy is wrong - not just on a conservation level, but locals will suffer too. Go see Europeans now fighting back against leaders with masses of tourism that are blighting their towns. 

 

 

But hey, let's celebrate because you save a bit of paperwork. 

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, george said:

Adjust the criteria and conditions for receiving a Long Stay visa for the elderly who wish to spend their final years in Thailand.

 

"Final years" sounds like people on death's doorstep. I wonder if this could indicate they are increasing the age of eligibility for the retirement visa/extension? Remember all the commotion over the biker gangs on retirement? Maybe they want a more sedate class of "elderly."

[george]

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

"Final years" sounds like people on death's doorstep. I wonder if this could indicate they are increasing the age of eligibility for the retirement visa/extension? Remember all the commotion over the biker gangs on retirement? Maybe they want a more sedate class of "elderly."

 

"Final years" have always been Thai Immigration/MFA description for "retirement". If you look at your "retirement" extension stamp, that's the vocabulary in Thai script used on that stamp.

[John Drake]

2 minutes ago, george said:

 

"Final years" have always been Thai Immigration/MFA description for "retirement". If you look at your "retirement" extension stamp, that's the vocabulary in Thai script used on that stamp.

 

Well, good answer. But I have always wondered why the retirement/visa's eligibility age seemed so relatively young, at 50, when the Thai government retirement age itself is 60. I've always thought they might tighten things up to bring the retirement visa in alignment with their own concept of retirement age. 

[theblether]

8 hours ago, mania said:

 

Funny when I read that I had the opposite thought that hopefully they were going to ease it as every other thing they mentioned was easier than previously. I guess we will know soon enough 😉 

 

The mood music looks positive, however, it's been around 15 years since there was a variation in financial qualification. It would be surprising if they reduced the level as that doesn't suit the recent policy announcements of trying to attract a "better" quality of long term stayer. The realistic best most people can hope for is no change. 

[Bvor]

24 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

no change to number of visa exempts mentioned

number of air visa exempts never been stated before hence previous uncertainty.

60 day visa exempts need more clarity.

[Polaky]

22 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Nothing for the majority on extensions of stay for retirement/marriage originating from an O visa ….. boo !

Those holding OA visas and presumably extensions of permission to stay see their mandatory health insurance dropping from 3M baht coverage to 440k.

It will no doubt still have to be with a thai insurer and premiums will remain the same, so absolutely useless.

[UWEB]

48 minutes ago, Farangus said:

Thank you! Unfortunately, I did not find my country in the center of Europe on this list (it seems that the citizens of Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more important for Thailand). Maybe you have a new list of countries for visas on arrival?

If you had 30 days Visa exempts / Visa free before you will have 60 days in future.

[El Matador]

22 minutes ago, JoeyMac said:

 

I have news for you - it's going to spoil things on massive level. 

 

A simple perspective, even countries that reply heavily on tourism and overseas investment have visas in place for Indian and Chinese visitors. Very few countries in the world allow complete visa free access for these countries for this amount of time. It's basically an open door policy. 

 

I fully support Thailand needing to do something to reinvigorate their economy, but a mass open door policy is wrong - not just on a conservation level, but locals will suffer too. Go see Europeans now fighting back against leaders with masses of tourism that are blighting their towns. 

 

 

But hey, let's celebrate because you save a bit of paperwork. 

Unfortunately that is a Thai classic to count a lot on tourism to improve the economy. 

The problem with the 51% of Thai ownership for local companies is it makes Thailand absolutely unattractive for foreign investors. I totally understand the 51% ownership for condos and the exclusivity of land ownership for locals but for companies it doesn't make any sense. So they can only boost what is working already and managed by Thai people.

And let's face it and be honest with ourselves, China is the new superpower and India is the next one, so there won't be any coming back in our lifetime, although they will probably make new laws in the next few years a usual.

[Georgealbert]

1 hour ago, Farangus said:

Thank you! Unfortunately, I did not find my country in the center of Europe on this list (it seems that the citizens of Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more important for Thailand). Maybe you have a new list of countries for visas on arrival?

Sorry this was just an unconfirmed report on Thai media, as stated above, maybe best to wait for the official lists, but be interesting to how close that list is.

 

Is your country not on the list of the 57 countries that already get visa exempt?

[Andrew Dwyer]

Just now, Polaky said:

It will no doubt still have to be with a thai insurer and premiums will remain the same, so absolutely useless.

I had an OA a few years ago, cheapest Premiums for the 40/400 coverage were 6000 ( up to 60 yr old ) and 7,700 baht (over 60), when the 3M coverage came about the cheapest over 60 coverage went up to 26,700 baht.

Can’t see any reason why the premiums shouldn’t reduce ?

[Farangus]

8 minutes ago, UWEB said:

If you had 30 days Visa exempts / Visa free before you will have 60 days in future.

No, I always applied for a 60-day visa. There was an option with a visa on arrival more than 10 years ago, but it was later cancelled.

[JoeyMac]

8 minutes ago, El Matador said:

Unfortunately that is a Thai classic to count a lot on tourism to improve the economy. 

The problem with the 51% of Thai ownership for local companies is it makes Thailand absolutely unattractive for foreign investors. I totally understand the 51% ownership for condos and the exclusivity of land ownership for locals but for companies it doesn't make any sense. So they can only boost what is working already and managed by Thai people.

And let's face it and be honest with ourselves, China is the new superpower and India is the next one, so there won't be any coming back in our lifetime, although they will probably make new laws in the next few years a usual.

 

 

The state may well be a super power, but the true metric is GDP per person. And especially in India's case, their GDP per person is relatively low - even lower than Thailand. 

 

The GDP per person from India is nearly 1/3 LESS of what it is in Thailand. In that regards calling the population of India a superpower is stretching it. 

 

Furthermore experience from neighbouring countries of Indians overstaying in Malaysia on a mass level should be a warning. 

 

 

[george]

10 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I had an OA a few years ago, cheapest Premiums for the 40/400 coverage were 6000 ( up to 60 yr old ) and 7,700 baht (over 60), when the 3M coverage came about the cheapest over 60 coverage went up to 26,700 baht.

Can’t see any reason why the premiums shouldn’t reduce ?

 

Please discuss OA insurance in a separate visa thread or in the Insurance subforum. This topic is for new visa regulations only. Feel free to open a new topic discussing OA insurance issues. Thanks!

[Montnoveau]

21 hours ago, smedly said:

desperate for foreign income

So, is it wise to add another twenty or whatever, third-world nations visa free? 

You'll only likely to get the crooks and fraudsters...

[UWEB]

17 minutes ago, Farangus said:

No, I always applied for a 60-day visa. There was an option with a visa on arrival more than 10 years ago, but it was later cancelled.

Than you are not from a Country in Center of Europe, that would be a EU Member Country or Switzerland.

[Andrew Dwyer]

8 minutes ago, george said:

 

Please discuss OA insurance in a separate visa thread or in the Insurance subforum. This topic is for new visa regulations only. Feel free to open a new topic discussing OA insurance issues. Thanks!

Only commenting on something that’s clearly mentioned in the OP 

 

“ 

In other visa-related changes, tourists aged 50 years and above seeking long-stay visas are now only required to have health insurance coverage of 440,000 baht, down from the previous 3 million baht. This reduction will be effective for long-stay applicants from September to December, according to Mr Chai.“

[Arthur Mullard]

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Confuding since Cambodia and Laos already have visa free entry albeit gorr a shorter dtay (14 days). Are they really going to give them 60 days now? 

Laos 🇱🇦  not for me as a Brit! Btw I pay double what the Chinese pay! In fairness it was always around the $39-40 for me. 

[Pattaya57]

1 hour ago, Farangus said:

Thank you! Unfortunately, I did not find my country in the center of Europe on this list (it seems that the citizens of Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more important for Thailand). Maybe you have a new list of countries for visas on arrival?

So I'm assuming you are from Belarus? They gave Russia 60 day visa exempt so why not you?

[Farangus]

12 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Than you are not from a Country in Center of Europe, that would be a EU Member State or Switzerland.

I did not mean the center of the European Union, but the Geographical Center of Europe (as parts of the world from Portugal to the Ural Mountains in Russia). (in fact, several countries claim to be the center of Europe and my country is only one of them).

 

In fact, getting a Thai visa here is not very difficult (there is an Honorary Consulate), but one of the requirements is very stupid: confirmation of PAID accommodation for each day of stay in Thailand (between the date of arrival and departure according to the air ticket). For a person who arrives for 2-3 months and likes to travel a lot around the country depending on the weather and mood (without an exact schedule), this is very unpleasant. So I crossed my fingers that I could at least get a visa on arrival...

[Mike Teavee]

Has made it into the UK Press... 

 

Thailand makes sweeping changes for foreign travellers in record tourism bid

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/thailand-digital-nomad-students-visa-b2552452.html

 

[Farangus]

10 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

So I'm assuming you are from Belarus? They gave Russia 60 day visa exempt so why not you?

Because this Belarus is not Russia (although now we are under political occupation of Russia thanks to our dictator) 🥺

[Pattaya57]

27 minutes ago, Farangus said:

In fact, getting a Thai visa here is not very difficult (there is an Honorary Consulate), but one of the requirements is very stupid: confirmation of PAID accommodation for each day of stay in Thailand (between the date of arrival and departure according to the air ticket). For a person who arrives for 2-3 months and likes to travel a lot around the country depending on the weather and mood (without an exact schedule), this is very unpleasant. So I crossed my fingers that I could at least get a visa on arrival...

I agree it is a stupid requirement to demand pre-booking of months of holiday accommodation, however I just had a look at what a Thai has to do to go to Belarus. There is no visa exempt and to get a visa they need to show proof of flight and all accommodation. So same same 😉

[DonniePeverley]

56 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Has made it into the UK Press... 

 

Thailand makes sweeping changes for foreign travellers in record tourism bid

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/thailand-digital-nomad-students-visa-b2552452.html

 

 

 

Are there any infrustructure plans on the horizon for Phuket , Koh Samui ?

[Mannekenpis]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:44 PM, dinsdale said:

All very 'valuable' to Thai society. Teachers 12 months.

Or people on business visas having lived in the country for many years and working legally and paying taxes or people on marriage visas supporting their Thai families. I can understand that their are fake marriages but after a set amount of years they should be able to apply for longer viss

[Mannekenpis]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:44 PM, dinsdale said:

All very 'valuable' to Thai society. Teachers 12 months.

Or people on business visas having lived in the country for many years and working legally and paying taxes or people on marriage visas supporting their Thai families. I can understand that their are fake marriages but after a set amount of years they should be able to apply for longer visas

[Rocking Robert]

18 hours ago, hydraides said:

I bet they change visa exempt to only 1 x per year now.......so nothing actually really changes, in fact it could be even less 

 

60+30 days = 90 days

30 + 30 x 2 =120 days

 

Lets see..

Quote

Well since we’re betting, I bet they give us five years for 40