Suvarnabhumi Airport still stamps 30 days instead of 60 days

[Maestro]

This topic is about the fact  that changes to visa exemption and VOA have not been implemented on 1 June as had been speculated earlier.

 

Posts about the DTV  and other visas are off topic here, have been removed and will continue to be removed without additional notice.

[pest]

Phuket just got 30 days also

[black tabby12345]

On 6/1/2024 at 8:07 PM, farang51 said:

Do you have a link to that press release?

 

 

When the government officially announce the change, don't you call it Press Release?

Thailand Relaxes Its Visa Program: Longer Stays For Tourists And Digital Nomads (forbes.com)

 

thai government announces visa free stay of 60days from June 1, 2024 - Google Search

 

[black tabby12345]

On 6/1/2024 at 12:48 PM, Caldera said:

 

Hardly. 

 

The Cabinet(supposedly the government) declared the change as of June 1 this year.

But the actual bureau is not ordered to do so.

Another common event in the land of Same Same, but different.

[KhunBENQ]

On 6/2/2024 at 7:03 AM, heybuz said:

I always thought that changes like these need royal assent.

Yes in a way that it is published in the Royal Gazette which has not happened so far.

 

And the PRD (public relation departement) uses a vague statement in an article from May 30:

Visa Facilitation Measures to Stimulate Thailand’s Economy and Tourism

 

Quote

Five short-term measures expected to take effect in late June or early July 2024 include the following:

 

[ujayujay]

Thai Government style: Lets the customers down if the promises cannot be kept......we know

[sikishrory]

Says late June / early July here https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/48/iid/293120

[farang51]

3 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

 

When the government officially announce the change, don't you call it Press Release?

Thailand Relaxes Its Visa Program: Longer Stays For Tourists And Digital Nomads (forbes.com)

 

thai government announces visa free stay of 60days from June 1, 2024 - Google Search

 

No, that is not press releases, that is the press reporting.

 

Clearly, the June 1st date was wrong; thus, I wondered whether the ministry reported the wrong date or whether the press misunderstood the ministry and reported the wrong date. So far, the only official announcement I have seen does not say June 1st but sometime in June or July.

[MangoKorat]

Sorry to be pedantic on this but its quite clear that Thai government is the culprit here.  They can blame the press all they want but as I pointed out earlier, the British government doesn't change its advice to travellers based on a news story.  They will have been notified by an official government department.

[farang51]

8 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Sorry to be pedantic on this but its quite clear that Thai government is the culprit here.  They can blame the press all they want but as I pointed out earlier, the British government doesn't change its advice to travellers based on a news story.  They will have been notified by an official government department.

I do believe that the original information is less than clear or prone to misinterpretations during translation. But I would love to see it. Please note that many other countries have not changed their advice to travellers.

[MangoKorat]

11 minutes ago, farang51 said:

Please note that many other countries have not changed their advice to travellers.

That changes nothing. I would be amazed if the British government changed the information it provides to those intending to visit Thailand based on a press report.  I repeat, they will have been notified.

[DrJack54]

Some off topic posts removed. 

It has been established that currently visa exempt entry provides 30 day stamp. 

Nothing to see here. 

[wmlc]

20 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Not doubting what you say at all but I am doubting the sincerity of what your office was told - blaming it on the press.

 

I don't think the UK government gets its information by reading what various news sources say yet as others have pointed out - the UK is saying the from 1 June, its 60 days.

 

Visa requirements

From 1 June 2024, British passport holders arriving by air or land can enter Thailand without a visa (visa exemption) for the purpose of tourism and short-term business engagements for a period not exceeding 60 days.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements

 

 

If that was the case, why are they not stamping people in for 60 days? Read the introduction of the info. It is their understanding. If they confirmed the info, it would say that as confirmed with the Thai Government. I believe they just posted this using the info from the media. Nobody from MOFA told them June 1st. Why? Because on May 29, MOFA was very clear that these changes would be implemented following the completion of legal procedures. We were told two things. Someone spoke out of turn and the press jumped the gun. Top of info graph in red says this and the bottom right hand corner says May 29 from MOFA/Ministry of Councillor Affairs, which is a dept inside MOFA.

[wmlc]

20 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

It always has been in the past when longer visa exempt entries are brought in for a temporary period. 

From what we are being told, this is not temporary. However, please wait.

[MangoKorat]

15 minutes ago, wmlc said:

If that was the case, why are they not stamping people in for 60 days?

I think you misunderstand.  I'm fully aware (from the OP) that people are not being stamped in for 60 days.  You might note that a poster said his company had been in touch with the Thai authorities who have said that the new 60 day exemption is currently going through the system - it is not law yet and they blamed it on press releases.  As others and myself pointed out, the British government amended their website to state that from 1 June 2024, the visa exemption for British citizens would be 60 days.

 

The point I'm making is that I very much doubt the British government's advice is based on press releases, I am sure they will have received official notification. Therefore I don't believe this anomaly is entirely the result of press releases.

[wmlc]

4 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

I think you misunderstand.  I'm fully aware (from the OP) that people are not being stamped in for 60 days.  You might note that a poster said his company had been in touch with the Thai authorities who have said that the new 60 day exemption is currently going through the system - it is not law yet and they blamed it on press releases.  As others and myself pointed out, the British government amended their website to state that from 1 June 2024, the visa exemption for British citizens would be 60 days.

 

The point I'm making is that I very much doubt the British government's advice is based on press releases, I am sure they will have received official notification. Therefore I don't believe this anomaly is entirely the result of press releases.

That was me who posted that. Look at my post above yours. I believe the UK government just followed the press and that's it. Nobody from MOFA told them June 1st. Look at the info graph. It's dated May 29 and clearly proves my point as its from MOFA.

[AreYouGerman]

7 hours ago, ujayujay said:

Thai Government style: Lets the customers down if the promises cannot be kept......we know

 

That's not specific to Thailand.

[MangoKorat]

11 minutes ago, wmlc said:

That was me who posted that. Look at my post above yours. 

I don't see how who posted what changes anything.  All I am saying is that it has become clear that the 60 day exemption is not yet available and that despite the Thai authorities claims that the confusion is down to press interpretation, the British government are unlikely to have amended their advice if they had not been officially notified of the change.

 

Therefore, the Thai authorities are being 'economical' with the truth in blaming press releases. Someone official, must have advised the British government - wrongly as it turns out.

 

I don't believe the British government would change anything without official confirmation.

[Pattaya57]

15 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

The point I'm making is that I very much doubt the British government's advice is based on press releases, I am sure they will have received official notification. Therefore I don't believe this anomaly is entirely the result of press releases.

As UK is the only country to publish something on their government website, are you saying they were the only country officially informed, or more likely were they the only country stupid enough to do so from a press release?

[MangoKorat]

1 minute ago, Pattaya57 said:

As UK is the only country to publish something on their government website, are you saying they were the only country officially informed, or more likely were they the only country stupid enough to do so from a press release?

I am saying that it is my belief that they were officially notified. Whatever, its yet another cock up in announcments from the Thai government.

 

It's unlikely but entirely possible that this matter has ruffled some feathers somewhere - somebody possibly had to 'sign it off' and thinks they've been over-ridden.  There could also have been some 'back tracking' behind the scenes - it wouldn't be the first time.

 

I just hope that nobody has booked a return flight/flight out that is beyond the current 30 day exemption - they could well be denied boarding at check in.

[DrJack54]

This topic is completely off the rails.

A simple thread to inform visa exempt entries are currently 30 days. 

In other threads of current border bounce that land borders also remain at 30 days.

Thread temporarily locked

 

[bamnutsak]

On 6/1/2024 at 7:44 AM, george said:

The announcement of 60 days visa exempt isn't been enforced at Suvarnabhumi Airport just yet. Here is a Suvarnabhumi Airport entry stamp from today. 30 days, not 60 days! The announcement from Ministry of Foreign affairs (MFA) says June 1, 2024. TIT.

 

 

Is it also reasonable to assume that those visitors from the ~ 36 NEW countries are not currently eligible for ANY tourist visa exemption?

 

But they will be at some point in the near-ish future?

 

This will make travel planning challenging, and one can't make an airline ticket purchase, or travel plans, yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[VBF]

21 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

I don't see how who posted what changes anything.  All I am saying is that it has become clear that the 60 day exemption is not yet available and that despite the Thai authorities claims that the confusion is down to press interpretation, the British government are unlikely to have amended their advice if they had not been officially notified of the change.

 

Therefore, the Thai authorities are being 'economical' with the truth in blaming press releases. Someone official, must have advised the British government - wrongly as it turns out.

 

I don't believe the British government would change anything without official confirmation.

Yes they would!!

I get the FCO advisory emails: last week they announced the 60 day visa exemption and updated the website.

Today another email arrived and the website has reverted to 30 day exemption.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements#:~:text=British passport applications.-,visa requirements,-British passport holders   As of 4th May 2024 10:40 BST

[DrJack54]

Bickering and off topic posts.

Thread closed. Again