14 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

From the MFA notice, dated 16 July 2024.

 

https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/91fPdh6NtO/VISA_Information/Visa_Exemption_Revised_16_July_2024.pdf

 

Thank you!

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

The question everytime remains... what is a tourist?? If you come to escape the winter you are not a tourist anymore

touristin British English

(ˈtʊərɪst https://www.collinsdictionary.com/external/images/info.png?version=6.0.86)

noun

1. 

a. 

a person who travels for pleasure, usually sightseeing and staying in hotels

 

Personally I think that tourists stays on a holiday destination mostly not longer than 3 weeks and than move on.. But if people want to stay longer they should not be called tourists anymore.. IMO it is very expensive to stay in hotels for 60 days, even if you are retired and many times coming in and out will cost a lot of money for flights. Probably these kind of tourists have an own accomodation and therefor not real tourists and should apply for a non immigrant visa...

So you are from England and subscribe to the Collins dictionary definition of tourism to settle the issue. Perfect. I don't know what problem this would solve but as you say, make these people apply for a non immigrant visa.

Just more reason to make them take their monies avoid Thailand and Winter somewhere else. 

1 minute ago, Asean Tiger said:

So you are from England and subscribe to the Collins dictionary definition of tourism to settle the issue. Perfect. I don't know what problem this would solve but as you say, make these people apply for a non immigrant visa.

Just more reason to make them take their monies avoid Thailand and Winter somewhere else. 

Yes... because if they don't can or want to apply for a long tourist/non immigrant visa, they are probably not worth to come.. Thailand want to have quality tourists and visitors.. so if these people are not willing to apply for a visa they probably are not the ones with quality... Free or cheap is always low quality

30 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand want to have quality tourists and visitors.. so if these people are not willing to apply for a visa they probably are not the ones with quality... Free or cheap is always low quality

 

Last time I applied for tourist visas it cost between 1,000 and 1,500 baht per entry. How does that identify one as a 'quality tourist'? 😆 

 

More like someone who is so keen to travel to Thailand that he/she will jump through a number of hoops just to be able to...

 

 

On 10/27/2025 at 8:43 AM, nofarang said:

What is wrong with a visa free entry for 30 days? Like it was for many years. Who on earth would think that someone coming to Thailand for 60 days really is a tourist?

 

Well Yes & No....My wife & I lived in Thailand many years & own a home here..in 2016 we moved back to USA...We still visit 3 months a year sometimes 2x a year....So previously I always just got the 90 day visa $80 no problem. You had to show $750-$1000 in bank ok no problem

 

But now they decided that if your visiting Thai Family & want the 90 day visa you need to put 400k Baht in the bank!

"Recent bank statement showing the applicant's name and ending balance of no less than $15,000 or proof of monthly income of not less than $1,500/month) along with the current bank statement showing incoming income"

 

Same as if you were doing a yearly visa based on marriage

 

But get this if your visiting a NON Thai Family (Falang) you get the old rule financial requirement

"A copy of a recent saving or checking bank statement with an ending balance of no less than $1,000 per person or 2,000 per family that shows the applicant's name and date. In case of submitting a family bank statement, proof of relationship (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate) must be provided"

 

How messed up is that??

https://thaiconsulatela.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/non-immigrant-type-o-visiting-family

This visa free is useless as one can do no bank or administrative formality in Thailand on visa waiver. One needs a visa. 

 

Then comes the fact that nobody on holiday from Europe or the west will want to stay 60 days. At least nobody with a regular job and revenue. Tourists stay 10 to 14 days usually and these numbers may also drop as more and more westerners are going to Vietnam or other countries in Asia that are more welcoming to foreigners, 

 

Thailand is always making the big mistake is not seeing who spends the most. It is all those western retirees or people who own property on leasehold or feehold who spend the most. Thailand must make it more simple to give a NON O visa to property owners who come in only for winter.

 

Thailand must stop all those health insurance immigration hassles or bank statement requests for the evisa,  as usually the foreigner winter birds only come for 4 to 5 monts in the cold season and then go back to the west. The foreigner property owners in Thailand must get a hassle free 5 month visa e-visa, on just on showing the lease or purchase agreement of their house in Thailand and that's it.

 

Asking to show private bank accounts and so on must be abolished by immigration for e-visa,  for house owners. If not, don't complain when these retiree foreigners will sell their property and move to another country to spend their money. 

On 10/27/2025 at 4:35 AM, ikke1959 said:

A normal tourist has enough for 30 days visa.. Longer stays are making more problems..

for some  like me ,stay 6 month less and eneter minimum 10 time ....make visa everytime,sry no come more

 

whats like the UAE ..No visa ..you enter egate (after second entry) you can come as many as you want..and the screen shows you how many days left for you to stay  ( up to 180 days per year) ,no entry <deleted> no Digital cards, no exclusions.youalways know how much can stay..more than 180 days .go immigration...thats it

 

even india is advanced

 

5 year tourist multi visa 80USD (i think thai can charge more even , can come 180days per year ,up to you how many time...stay longer,no exclusion..go immigration

 

but this stupid hikhak in thailand   is................

 

NEW VISA SO >EASY FOR THAI

Touristvisa Multi1/ 5 yea(incl ed ) fee 80/400 US  ,reuquirment  max stay  180 days per year, Bank AC in thailand shows min 800k balance  on each entry

Non O   Multi 5 yearfee400us, based on familly ownership of condo, max stay 180 days per year, Bank AC in thai min show 500k

for the rest 30 day visa exemption , extentable  up to 180 days at immigration showing cash/CC card balance or other     150.000 per month extension

Nobody can stay more than 180 days per year !!!!! automatic calculation by system , you dont need even a lot officers at boarders,   eneter passport  and  display shows you how many days left. sure than you get off people abusing the system , bcs no way to stay longer 

 

all other visas  type can cancell

 

.... everybody else required LT Visa at immi

 

and for crimminals ,maybe police do a better job and extend it

On 10/28/2025 at 1:58 AM, ikke1959 said:

The question everytime remains... what is a tourist?? If you come to escape the winter you are not a tourist anymore

touristin British English

(ˈtʊərɪst https://www.collinsdictionary.com/external/images/info.png?version=6.0.86)

noun

1. 

a. 

a person who travels for pleasure, usually sightseeing and staying in hotels

 

Personally I think that tourists stays on a holiday destination mostly not longer than 3 weeks and than move on.. But if people want to stay longer they should not be called tourists anymore.. IMO it is very expensive to stay in hotels for 60 days, even if you are retired and many times coming in and out will cost a lot of money for flights. Probably these kind of tourists have an own accomodation and therefor not real tourists and should apply for a non immigrant visa...

Are you joking or naive ? You can legally rent a lovely condo for a month or more ( not Airbnb!) . There are also cheap hotels that world travelers use, mostly young people, these do monthly rates . Flights are cheap in Asia, For us snowbirds we wouldn’t spend more on a few months in Thailand than staying in our own homes in the west ! Saving on daily costs and heating. Really don’t need a non immigrant visa for 2 b3 /4 months. No one doing this is breaking any rules, surlely after 30 + years of winters in Thailand, respecting the law, I have never had a problem. 
Also I know many foreigners who own condos and also only stay over western winter.

On 10/28/2025 at 6:01 AM, ikke1959 said:

Yes... because if they don't can or want to apply for a long tourist/non immigrant visa, they are probably not worth to come.. Thailand want to have quality tourists and visitors.. so if these people are not willing to apply for a visa they probably are not the ones with quality... Free or cheap is always low quality

All the winter stayers I know have quite a lot of money. Lots are golfers . Many own beautiful condos. Or do you know my bank balance too ?

2 hours ago, geisha said:

All the winter stayers I know have quite a lot of money. Lots are golfers . Many own beautiful condos. Or do you know my bank balance too ?

So no problem thsn to apply for a longer visa than a free 30 days tourist visa, or is that too much money, as you have to save money because the winter in your own country?

On 10/29/2025 at 11:42 AM, ikke1959 said:

So no problem thsn to apply for a longer visa than a free 30 days tourist visa, or is that too much money, as you have to save money because the winter in your own country?

I do legally as I want. Don’t need your ridiculous suggestions.

Oh ffs. 

 

Get a life all you wannabe Thai immigration ministers. You fat yank fascist border policemen. You pathetic bloated-belly alcoholic sexually immature deviants >> and let others get on with living thier lives even if you don't know what that means for yourself.

On 10/28/2025 at 11:57 AM, Asean Tiger said:

So you are from England and subscribe to the Collins dictionary definition of tourism to settle the issue

 

It's a shame that, for somebody who relies on dictionary definitions, he doesn't understand the modifier "usually".

Get back to 30 days visa - so tourists go back into hotels. Make them pay extra for another 30 days. It was a succesfull model that preserved Thai culture, and stop trash living here. 

 

Ban visa free for Indians and other less developed nations.

 

Ban the DTV or heavily modify it so checks are done more thoroughly, including criminal record checks, and a higher threshold. You now have cheap tourists competing with local thai's for cheap property - that is not what the visa was intended for. Local thai's in a developing country must be protected. 

 

Most of these staying visitors are also working here. It must be stopped. 

 

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY .

 

Hopefully the property moguls have gone that have ruined the scene.