Visa-free entry for Chinese nationals has many consequences

[impulse]

One positive....  They're a great market for Thai made goods. 

 

I see them every month, packing and repacking their stuffed luggage at the departure ticket gates and queued up at the VAT refund desks.  They probably aren't bringing Chinese made goodies back to China.

 

 

[RichardColeman]

At some point they will have to limit chinese tourists simply as there is not enough sea life to feed them all and their ravenous seafood buffets !

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, thailand49 said:

Ive read that a number of months back even about Pattaya but yet they keep doung everything possible to bring them in. I remember after that article the hotel association complaining not enough business?

Here is the problem my comment isnt about tourist!  Tourist dont buy homes, send their kids to school, go to Tops and but thousands of baht of groceries nor tourist go Home Pro to buy furniture, appliances, or open bank accounts!

 

I know Triads been here a long time and how they go about things to stay but young families as if they are escaping China, relocating permenent too young to retired all within working age. So where is all the money coming are they working.

There are likely alot of criminals plying their trade here, having gotten very high quality training in both China and Russia, from both the Triads and the Bratva. 

 

When you drop all standards for entrance and visa policy, this is what you get, the bottom of the barrel and a significant criminal element. This voraciously greedy administration has only themselves to blame for embracing quantity over quality. It would appear that dullards, and simpletons are running the asylum. 

[zackxx]

My condo is very close the Phayathai BTS where many Chinese transfer to/from the ARL coming or going to the airport. As I use this BTS station often, I have noticed many Chinese travelers here. Inevitably they are with suitcases so they prefer to use the lift to/from the BTS platform instead of the stairs.

 

There is a sign in Thai & English next to the doors of the lift (at all BTS stations) to give priority to disabled, aged, pregnant women and children. Let these disadvantaged people use the lift first. Do you think many Chinese travelers adhere to this common decency if they want to use the lift?

 

Do you think many Chinese travelers offer their seat on the BTS to these priority people despite clear signs on the trains above certain seats to do so? 

 

Not to disparage only mainland Chinese but many farang/non-Thais visitors are guilty also. The behavior of Thai people to offer their seat is consistently good however, that is if they are not too engrossed playing on their mobile phone to notice the person standing right in front of them that needs a seat more than they do.

 

With more and more Chinese tourists entering Thailand I can only see this situation getting worse, but hey, they bring in money so we'll have to put up with it.

 

[CanadaSam]

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

Its not Xenophobic Watching 3-4 Indians sharing a small bottle of water outside 7/11.

 

This is so old it's getting moss growing on it.  Show me one recent picture of this, and I'll change my views on Indians in Thailand. 

 

I'm much more concerned about Kuwaiti's at the moment, disrupting life in LOS.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

 

This is precisely what happened in Laos starting about 8 or 9 years ago. Chinese just moved in en masse, around 800,000 in a country of 7.5 million people. Ignored any legal or visa requirements. Crossed the border, set up shops, businesses, schools, and that was it for Laos.

I also hear they left behind the massive amount of unfinished buildings and construction in places like Sihanoukville, when their local economy collapsed back home in China and gbling laws changed in Cambodia. Is there a lesson to be learned here? They left behind a horrendous blight. They create alot of problems with their insatiable greed. 

 

Tens of thousands of Chinese citizens who moved to Cambodia to work in the gambling and hospitality industry have left the coastal city, leaving the economy in limbo and hundreds of high-rises unfinished across the city.

 

In July, provincial authorities met with representatives of local investors and landlords who have leased to Chinese investment projects to discuss the crisis.

 

According to Sihanoukville provincial authority, more than 1,000 buildings in Sihanoukville have been abandoned for more than two years.

 

https://cambojanews.com/sihanoukville-property-owners-in-limbo-as-unfinished-high-rises-litter-the-city/

 

 

[kwilco]

9 hours ago, norsurin said:

They asked for it.Criminal chinese and russians everywhere.

how will they communicate with the criminal Brits and Russians?

[John Drake]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I also hear they left behind the massive amount of unfinished buildings and construction in places like Sihanoukville, when their local economy collapsed back home in China and gbling laws changed in Cambodia. Is there a lesson to be learned here? They left behind a horrendous blight. They create alot of problems with their insatiable greed. 

 

Tens of thousands of Chinese citizens who moved to Cambodia to work in the gambling and hospitality industry have left the coastal city, leaving the economy in limbo and hundreds of high-rises unfinished across the city.

 

In July, provincial authorities met with representatives of local investors and landlords who have leased to Chinese investment projects to discuss the crisis.

 

According to Sihanoukville provincial authority, more than 1,000 buildings in Sihanoukville have been abandoned for more than two years.

 

https://cambojanews.com/sihanoukville-property-owners-in-limbo-as-unfinished-high-rises-litter-the-city/

 

 

 

Pictures look like the afterwards of an attack of locusts.

[Denim]

Well, the Chinese and Russians at least have a herd instinct and like to flock together and avoid integration as much as possible. This is good because it means they are all in a few places and not spread out all over the country. Where I live I have yet to see or hear either. Even westerners are very thin on the ground .

[Presnock]

9 hours ago, norsurin said:

They asked for it.Criminal chinese and russians everywhere.

Funny, we as visitors to this country knew exactly that this would happen, first with the cheap Chinese goods flooding the local markets, and now hordes pouring into this country.  Next will most likely be like the Greeks, local island tourist spot over run with tourists and local Greeks calling for a cap on number of tourists!  There was one note today that indicates that their future target number is 80 million tourists a year!  what a joke and just what are these people thinking?

[DavisH]

33 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

You will reap what you sow. The first case of Covid 19 reported outside of China was a Thai Taxi driver

who took a Chinese tourist from the airport to their Bangkok hotel....FACT NOT A Conspiracy theory.

Why was it call Covid 19? Because there were 18 Covid  infections before Covid 19 ...DUH! 

Where did these Covid infections originate? Do your own research. 

 

What other presents will Chinese tourists visit upon the Thai population. The Big Wig Bangkok Fat Cats will make money and that is ALL they care about.   

LOL you are having a laugh. the '19' is for 2019. Got any new antivaxxer conspiracy theories? Would love to hear them!

[Zack61]

The borders are shifting. Thailand has sold off its sovereignty and appeal to the highest bidders. This open borders campaign is going to be the cancer that turns the country into a barren wasteland with nothing to offer and ultimately will turn the place into an Indo-Sino-Russian subsidiary. 
Thailand is well past it’s prime as an exotic tourist destination 

[Bday Prang]

47 minutes ago, kwilco said:

how will they communicate with the criminal Brits and Russians?

in english ?

[Hugh Jarse]

1 hour ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Sounds as though the Chinese are getting the exact same deal the western folks have.

 

Well, except for the kiddie diddling and the ladyboy spelunking.

 

China bad!

In English please

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, freeworld said:

Nothing like a topic like this to bring out the xenophobes. The comments seem to confirm.

           And normally there is nothing like a topic like this to bring out the virtue signalling woke   But your battle cry appears to have landed on deaf ears,They must all be busy taking offence somewhere else, Somewhere more worthy perhaps?   

            You would probably be better off joining them , if you haven't already,  afterall , virtue signalling is a group participation activity, It won't be much fun for you on your own

[wwest5829]

3 hours ago, thailand49 said:

In my twenty years here Ive never seen so many and they arent tourist.

In Pattaya, talking the darkside I run into lots of families that are living here purchased homes using agents to set up companies, kids go to schools my granddaughter attends that receive heavy funds from Chinese government, I see them at Tops super market, Home Pro, majority are much too young to be retired so wherecare funds coming.

 

A few weeks ago I needed a new ATM card. The waiting area was packed with Chinese couples Thai agents opening bank accounts.

I certainly have encountered the latter in the banks.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, zackxx said:

There is a sign in Thai & English next to the doors of the lift (at all BTS stations) to give priority to disabled, aged, pregnant women and children. Let these disadvantaged people use the lift first.

So what do they do ? Push those out the way ?

[HampiK]

1 hour ago, Expat Tom said:

...

Why was it call Covid 19? Because there were 18 Covid  infections before Covid 19 ...DUH! 

Where did these Covid infections originate? Do your own research. 

...

I always was thinking it's called Covid 19, because the outbreak started in 2019!!!

[brianthainess]

That little girl looks really scared in the photo. I don't blame her either, clowns can be really scary. 

[kwilco]

49 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

in english ?

doubt that - although Brit crims are the only ones who can't speak another language - looks like they'll lose out.

[RethairedJarhead]

4 hours ago, freeworld said:

Nothing like a topic like this to bring out the xenophobes. The comments seem to confirm.

Sad but true- a topic within itself.

 

I joined this form to read about events in the region and gain insight to fellow expat perspectives. Too often, I have to scroll through heaps of chaff to find solid grains of perspective.

 

Sending a grateful shout out to those that contribute to the forum with civility- cheers🍻 

[Kerryd]

If you watch and pay attention to world events instead of spending 98% of your time looking at "footie" then you'll notice that China has been dramatically increasing it's presence - and influence - in the South Pacific, SE Asia and Indian Ocean regions all the way to Djibouti on the East Coast of Africa.
And they've been doing it, slowly for over 20 years now.

It's a part of their "Belt and Road" initiative. They use "Export Development Banks" to offer low interest "loans" to various gov'ts and Chinese owned/controlled companies willing to construct various "mega-projects" in the target countries on "own/operate/transfer" deals where the Chinese own and operate the project for many years and then eventually hand it over (or what's left of it) to the host nation.

Along with the loans and infrastructure programs, China tries to push the target nations into "buying Chinese". Ships, airplanes, tanks. Even submarines. (Subtle hint.)

Want a high-speed rail line linking China and Thailand through puppet nation Laos ? China is ready to help.

Need a "land bridge" in Southern Thailand to move massive amounts of cargo into the Indian Ocean faster (?) and easier (?) than by shipping it around "the long way" ? China is ready to help.

Need a new airport in Siem Reap because of all the Chinese tourist arrivals ? China will build one for you. And own it and collect the revenue from it on a 55 year deal and at the end of that term hand whatever is still working over to Cambodia.

Need an new airport outside of Phnom Penh ? (Same deal as the one in Siem Reap apparently.)

Need a new, fully self-contained "resort" on the Cambodian coast with it's own water, power and waste-treatment facilities ? China will "lease" 1/5th of your coastline and build that army base for you. Opps, I mean "resort" !

Need another airport to bring people to that "resort" ? China will build one for you ! And even give it extra long runways it doesn't need for some reason.

And it's just an hour's drive from the Cambodian Naval base that China recently made a secret deal that allows it to station ships in that port if it wants to !

They've done similar projects/deals in Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Djibouti. China was also the first nation to receive an "official" delegation from the Taliban after the US pulled out of the country.

These "projects" are often accompanied by "dual use" agreements where China can use things like the airports, "resorts", "high speed rail lines" and naval bases to stage Chinese troops, aircraft and ships should they choose to.
Hence the "dual use" tag.
It's an "airport" that just happens to be perfect to operate Chinese fighters and bombers from.
It's a "self contained resort" that just happens to be perfect to use as an Army (or Air Force) base facility.
It's a "high speed rail line" that just happens to be perfect to use to transport large numbers troops from China to other places.

These "dual use" agreements allow China to (if the need ever arose) "project power" from the Sea of Japan to the South Pacific and all the way to the Red Sea (via Djibouti).

And land bases have the advantage of not being "sinkable" the way Navy Aircraft carriers can be !

It's a "Long March" strategy that foresees a time when China will need to be able to hit strategic targets far from home (the same way America can with it's carrier fleets) and to be able to hit any hostile military forces while they are still far away from China.

They start by digging their way into a country's pockets through cheap loans, cheap infrastructure projects, cheap deals on military equipment and so on.
And by "assisting" pliable (as in "corrupt") leaders in various countries stay in power.

It doesn't take long before a country suddenly finds itself so deeply in debt to China that it literally has to do whatever Beijing tells it to "or else".
Or the leadership, backed by China, is so deep into China's pocket that it has to do whatever China wants - or risk them finding a new "puppet" to take over.

And think about this. All the recent "changes" Thailand is/has proposed. The new visa rules. The proposed changes in condo ownership rules. The "casino" proposals. The on again/off again submarine deal.

Those are ALL done with China in mind. NOT with a couple thousand old, fat and gray western expat's best interests at heart.

(Was it last year or the year before when there was a big news story about some Chinese companies wanting to build very large condo projects in Thailand ?)
And one of the proposed changes for the condo rules was that they would only apply to condos "in designated areas". So their idea is to allow "foreigners" to own more than 49% of a condo project - located in a certain "zoned" areas.
Sounds perfect if you want to build "Chinese only" condos right ?

But the gov't claims they want to change the ownership limits because "there is a glut of unsold high end condos" on the market.

Which made little sense as it's unlikely that those "high end" condos would all be located in the same "zoning area" to begin with.

Unless they already have plans of where those "zoned areas" will be and the "high end condos" are just waiting for the rules to be changed so they can be built.

And keep another thing in mind.

Thailand is just one little "coup" away from becoming just like Cambodia or Myanmar.

That was proven barely 10 years ago. And there's nothing saying it can't happen again.

With all these "Chinese friendly" proposals already in the works, one might suspect that China already has her hooks deep into Thailand.

[thailand49]

3 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Sounds as though the Chinese are getting the exact same deal the western folks have.

 

Well, except for the kiddie diddling and the ladyboy spelunking.

 

China bad!

Im not complaining just commenting and curious as to why? Freedom? 

Im Chinese American still have some family in Canton.

[Showtime]

Just like cheating at the Olympics is a sport for the Chinese so are Chinese illegal businesses and scam centers

[moe666]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government’s decision to encourage visa-free travel for Chinese nationals has certainly boosted their numbers. They are now estimated to be around 35,000 per day as flights increase from more cities in China. The overall volume is either back to pre-covid days or has even surpassed it.

 

Although the boost to Thai tourism and to government coffers is obvious, there are other features about the move. Recent advertising hoardings in Bangkok and Rayong, written exclusively in the Chinese language, have been removed by Thai local authorities but clearly illustrate a new market trend.

 

The Thai commerce ministry is complaining that Chinese-made domestic products are flooding Thai markets at a huge discount compared with Thai-made items. The popular Alibaba Group Holding e-commerce and retail technology company is basically run from China and offers knock-down prices.

 

Meanwhile, there are frequent media tales in Thailand about Chinese citizens being abducted or forcibly repatriated, even as Thai immigration officers periodically swoop on Chinese illegal businesses and scam centers throughout the country.

 

By Barry Kenyon

TOP picture: Chinese tourism to Thailand has recovered completely from the covid era.

 

Full story: PATTAYA MAIL 2024-08-10

 

-  Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

My new neighbor happens to be several chinese who came in on a tourist visa but they want to get a long sty visa, they also have a car as well. 

[Jonathan Swift]

5 hours ago, Expat Tom said:

You will reap what you sow. The first case of Covid 19 reported outside of China was a Thai Taxi driver

who took a Chinese tourist from the airport to their Bangkok hotel....FACT NOT A Conspiracy theory.

Why was it call Covid 19? Because there were 18 Covid  infections before Covid 19 ...DUH! 

Where did these Covid infections originate? Do your own research. 

 

What other presents will Chinese tourists visit upon the Thai population. The Big Wig Bangkok Fat Cats will make money and that is ALL they care about.   

Doing "research" does not give you a degree in epidemiology. Anything that does not come from a recognized and vetted reliable source is still third party speculation. Just because someone "does research" doesn't mean it was done objectively and broadly enough to draw definitive conclusions. People can find "research" to back up virtually anything.

[ericthai]

9 hours ago, Shmo said:

These Thailand immigration rules Sure tells the rest of us farang world just how and what the Thai Government thinks of us.

 

It’s pretty clear by their policies that they really don’t want  any to live here and if we do live here, they want us to pay a <deleted> ton of money to do it and they absolutely do not want us to make any money or run a legal business in or around Thailand  by using any of the available resources or infrastructure. 
 

that mentality has trickles down from the top and has given the Thai people an excuse to treat the Farang like an ATM across the entire spectrum of the country.

 

why are you calling yourself a Farang??? we are expats!

 

Don't understand why you think that. Visa exempt was just increased to 60 days. They just created new visas that make it much easier to stay long term.

Visa fees are not expensive.

 

I owned a few companies in Thailand and never had an issue, actually with the one company the Thai government worked with us to develop new products. 

Before you start saying Thai is 51%, I'm from the USA so was able to own more than 49% (which I owned 60%, had 1 thai partner and expat partner)

 

As for feeling like an ATM, that all depends on your situation. If you're the only income in the family then you are the ATM. If you knew this from the start, well...

[ericthai]

7 hours ago, Expat Tom said:

You will reap what you sow. The first case of Covid 19 reported outside of China was a Thai Taxi driver

who took a Chinese tourist from the airport to their Bangkok hotel....FACT NOT A Conspiracy theory.

Why was it call Covid 19? Because there were 18 Covid  infections before Covid 19 ...DUH! 

Where did these Covid infections originate? Do your own research. 

 

What other presents will Chinese tourists visit upon the Thai population. The Big Wig Bangkok Fat Cats will make money and that is ALL they care about.   

Covid is a SAR virus which Thailand went through the SARS outbreak back in the mid 2000's. If you recall they were taking everyones temperature when entering Thailand at the time. 

It's called COVID 19 as an abbreviation for 2019 novel coronavirus, not that there were 18 different variants before it.

 

The 2002–2004 outbreak of SARS, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), infected over 8,000 people from 30 countries and territories, and resulted in at least 774 deaths worldwide.^[1]

The outbreak was first identified in Foshan, Guangdong, China, in November 2002.^[2] The World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of the outbreak in February 2003, and issued a global alert in March 2003. Initially, the cause of the outbreak was unknown, and some media outlets reported that an influenza virus was a potential culprit.^[3] The major part of the outbreak lasted about 8 months, and the World Health Organization declared SARS contained on 5 July 2003. However, several SARS cases were reported until May 2004.^[4]

In late December 2019, SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus in the same genus as the one that caused SARS, was discovered in Wuhan, Hubei, China. It spread to other areas of Asia, and then worldwide in early 2020. This strain causes COVID-19, which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic.^[5][6]

[newnative]

9 hours ago, thailand49 said:

In my twenty years here Ive never seen so many and they arent tourist.

In Pattaya, talking the darkside I run into lots of families that are living here purchased homes using agents to set up companies, kids go to schools my granddaughter attends that receive heavy funds from Chinese government, I see them at Tops super market, Home Pro, majority are much too young to be retired so wherecare funds coming.

 

A few weeks ago I needed a new ATM card. The waiting area was packed with Chinese couples Thai agents opening bank accounts.

      I am on the Darkside, too.  There are three young Chinese families in our new housing development and perhaps more to come as homes are completed.  We have become acquainted with one Chinese family, a nice couple with two young children, with a business in China.  The couple speaks good English and are very friendly.

     At one of our get-togethers, my spouse and I asked them why they wanted to live in Thailand and they said one of  the main reasons was their children.  They felt they would get a better education at a private school here, and they wanted them to grow up here rather than in China.

[harleyclarkey]

You reap what you sow. 

Som non na