It's for internal politics.

Scapegoating foreigners isn't very original.

First they came for

...

11 hours ago, Pesche said:

Obviously the opposition to the Visa-free 60 days stay will gather and use all negative aspects!

(Tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency, disrespectful behavior towards locals, illegal activities, overstaying, or operating businesses without proper authorization.)

It is always easy to criticize...

It is true, it has happened more and more frequently - Well? What do you expect?!

Luring more and more tourists at all costs to reach the 30 million-target, to make it "more attractive" and to fight the competition (Vietnam etc.) doesn't guarantee the quality nor the level of education of a large mass of tourist!

The 60 days free Visa is (again) a short sighted solution to the ongoing problem of how to maintain and attract Tourism in Thailand.

Having worked myself for over 15 years in the Tourism Industry I can confirm the following:

Most tourists (coming for holidays) have an average stay of approximately 10 days. (From 1 week to 3 weeks Ergo 21 days)

In general, a person having a regular work, can take a vacation period of 4 to 5 weeks per year , which corresponds to 28-35 days!

So who can afford to leave his job for a holiday of 60+ days?

Some loyal employee might have the chance to take i.e. 1 month unpaid holiday. However this is a very small minority.

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

Well, these category of "long-stay tourist" will for sure increase the capita volume, however not increase dramatically an economical impact. Additionally comes the "new generation attitude" which doesn't care nor is interested to learn and respect other cultures...

This is my "Salt & Pepper comment" to the dilemma of "what is the impact of giving long and free Visas".

30 days or 60 days will not influence much on the fate and quality of tourism.

What do you say fellows?

Pffft, ... You forget pensioners like me !!! They have a lot of time. And I used the Visa waiver sins it creation.

4 hours ago, davee58 said:

I have already booked myself a 32 night flight ticket to Bangkok arriving in late October. I booked when I saw a good price rather than for specific dates, and just want to escape the British weather.

I intended to stay and travel around Thailand, however with the 30 day limit I am now considering an onward flight to KTI or SGN for two or three weeks.

Where do you see it as there being a 30 day limit?

It's (or is going to be) 30 days without a visa, a tourist visa takes it to 60.

Have you looked at this? https://www.thaievisa.go.th/

Oh and on there it says "You can travel to Thailand without a visa for no longer than 60 days." By October no doubt that'll be 30 days

As a previous poster stated this will only affect the priviledged few as like him (ish) i like to visit for a longer period (approx 3 months a year) and usually break that up with a trip out of country so i suppose at no great loss to Thailand I will just spend more time in other SE Asian countries. TBH last year i split my trip evenly between Thailand and Vietnam so whoop de doo, change what you want. My most comedic reply in a Thai Bureau De Change whilst trying to buy some dollars to pay for my taxi from Hanoi, was "we dont sell dollars, only buy them" which at least brought a smile to my face 😁

11 hours ago, anemone said:

the idiots have always been here and will always be, long or short visa. The social media mass posting is clearly organized to get public opinion in favour of changes they planned long time already. cheaper than advertising to win elections

I agree you will always have idiots.

However, win elections?? This has nothing to do with public opinion, votes or winning elections and If you think elections are won in Thailand you dreaming.. votes aren't free!

The average Thai could care less about tourists as it doesn't effect them. Tourism is less than 10% of the GDP, that's still a good size but that's not big enough to sway votes.

ask the average Thai how long an expat can stay in Thailand visa exempt, 99% wont be able to tell you because they dont care.

Lastly this is just going back to the original 30 days like they've dont in the past. This isn't voted on and nobody is being voted out of office if the rule is reverted back again.

Note: This is not the first time 30 day exempt was extended to 60 days.

11 hours ago, wmorris61 said:

Those that come to party are likely to be the cause of most problems. The old adage of “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” comes to mind. 30 days vs 60 days won’t make one iota of difference.

This problem needs to addressed in another manner. This new legislation is, as usual, the easy way out and only means it will need to be addressed again once it proves to be a fruitless measure.

As a retiree the 60 days with a 30 day extension fitted my travel plans perfectly. There are ways around this, I know, but I loved the convenience of the current system. I never abused it. I came, I spent my money, I behaved and I moved on. You’d never see me in the news and never a problem.

Totally agree, as I have done the same each year since retiring. A simple online application and visa fee paid gives me peace of mind and then I extend for 30 days at Immigration once I am in Thailand. I arrive, spend my money, behave respectfully and return before the visa expires.

To those who think someone can't be a true tourist if they want to stay any-more than two weeks; you are completely wrong. In fact I wouldn't bother visiting for such a short period of time.

If the police did what they are supposed to do there'd be less trouble, but it's easier, as usual, to blame foreigners.

11 hours ago, Nomadic1460 said:

I fully agree with this Hungarian tourist. Visa restrictions will not prevent these bad behaving tourists.

Will have zero effect. Shutting down drugs and prostitution would though...

15 hours ago, Pesche said:

Obviously the opposition to the Visa-free 60 days stay will gather and use all negative aspects!

(Tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency, disrespectful behavior towards locals, illegal activities, overstaying, or operating businesses without proper authorization.)

It is always easy to criticize...

It is true, it has happened more and more frequently - Well? What do you expect?!

Luring more and more tourists at all costs to reach the 30 million-target, to make it "more attractive" and to fight the competition (Vietnam etc.) doesn't guarantee the quality nor the level of education of a large mass of tourist!

The 60 days free Visa is (again) a short sighted solution to the ongoing problem of how to maintain and attract Tourism in Thailand.

Having worked myself for over 15 years in the Tourism Industry I can confirm the following:

Most tourists (coming for holidays) have an average stay of approximately 10 days. (From 1 week to 3 weeks Ergo 21 days)

In general, a person having a regular work, can take a vacation period of 4 to 5 weeks per year , which corresponds to 28-35 days!

So who can afford to leave his job for a holiday of 60+ days?

Some loyal employee might have the chance to take i.e. 1 month unpaid holiday. However this is a very small minority.

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

Well, these category of "long-stay tourist" will for sure increase the capita volume, however not increase dramatically an economical impact. Additionally comes the "new generation attitude" which doesn't care nor is interested to learn and respect other cultures...

This is my "Salt & Pepper comment" to the dilemma of "what is the impact of giving long and free Visas".

30 days or 60 days will not influence much on the fate and quality of tourism.

What do you say fellows?

I say the trouble makers will still come if it’s 30 or 60 days.

You do not see this happening anywhere else, except maybe Benidorm which is only around nightclubs area and then the problem is drunks. I live in a tourist resort and worked for 50 years, and I’ve hardly ever seen trouble , the occasional drunk.

Would Call the police if needed, 5 mins they’d be there.

In Thailand they abuse the laws because they are allowed to !

Nobody saw the hundreds ( thousands?) of nominee scams ?

Nobody saw the drug problem ?

Nobody witnessed the certain type of tourist zooming around in the night in gangs and terrifying people ?

All their fault for not doing their work. Don’t blame innocent tourists and the older generation with plenty money to spend.

13 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

don't agree. I'm convinced a 30 days visa will keep a lot of riffraff off entering the country, unless they would apply for a visa with all the paperwork

True enough, as riff raff myself, it's why I cant be ass'd and am staying in Malaysia for up to 90 days (40 days in at the moment, train to Butterworth tomorrow, then Penang and Lenkawai.

We might duck over to Koh Lip (Thailand) by ferryi for a few days and had had then planned for a longer stay in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Rai after that but will now just come back to Malaysia after 4 days in Koh Lipi and then we'll fly out to Cambodia with a 30 day on arrival, then then 3 month extension for 10 mins work at the travel agent, then back to Malaysia.

We (Aussie m and f couple) slow travel SE Asia for 8-9 months a year. Malaysia has 90 days free tourist entry, I assume to keep all the riff raff out ? /s

Last two years we spent 60 days in Thailand but this time maybe 4 days at Koh Lipi at most. I consider 60 -90 days reasonable. 30 days is taking the piss and why we've not been back to Laos, much as we loved Laung Prabang.

I am not sure WHY they have a bug up there ass as Malaysia has 90 days (for many) and is their literal neighbor, i suspect it's perhaps gross incompetence ? Crimanls won;t stop being criminals because you make more laws an don't enforce them

Sure, if you are having lots of issues with particular nationality on a per visitor basis, then make them get an actual Visa so you can vet them. Too many Russian <deleted> per number of Russian visitors ? then make the Russians apply for a 30day visa and put up say a $USD2000 surety they only get back when the leave.

16 hours ago, Pesche said:

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

These people are not the hooligans that the Thais want to ban. It are essentially the working class heroes that stay here for max 2 or 3 weeks and spend all their vacation pay in a few days drinking fcking behaving as if they are millionaires @$$holes, doing this all day and night long till they are broke. As other posters stated, you forgot the retired who can stay 2 months and more but don't want to become expats. These are the quality people who can afford a long stay and are big spending quality people. Conclusion once again the authorities are totally wrong missing the target and shooting in their own legs.

4 hours ago, VBF said:

Where do you see it as there being a 30 day limit?

It's (or is going to be) 30 days without a visa, a tourist visa takes it to 60.

Have you looked at this? https://www.thaievisa.go.th/

Oh and on there it says "You can travel to Thailand without a visa for no longer than 60 days." By October no doubt that'll be 30 days

No need to cry, you can get an other 30 days, in country.

17 hours ago, Pesche said:

It is true, it has happened more and more frequently - Well? What do you expect?!

Is this happening more often, or is social media making it seem that way?

15 hours ago, Issanraider said:

I have seen on various social media sites that tourists from India are only going to be allowed 14 days visa free on arrival and are also going to have to pay for entry into Thailand.

Is that correct or just rage baiting as it seems very discriminatory even for Thailand?

This looks to be the case. They will not be allowed "visa free" entry but will need to apply for visa on arrival AND pay 2000 THB for the application.

All the expats have their various long term style visas. I guess the rest of us over 65 tourists have to stay 30 days or less unless

we request a 60 day visa from the Thailand consulates in our home country. Darn, I was just getting used to going for 60 days without

doing this, but oh well, only have 1 or 2 trips left in me anyway. Medical insurance has gone up since I reached 75.

The trouble, although magnified through Social Media and AN is mainly caused by the two week millionaires. The youngsters committing these offences cannot afford long stay.

This is down to Anutin, remember during Covid and what he said, when a Brit declined a facemask he was handing out.

I have lived in the vicinity of Pattaya for 17 years but have stayed away from tourist hotspots such as Walking Street because ilthey seems to be simply unsafe. This is not only down to tourists per se but the mix in countries of origin providing the bulk of visitors has chsnged significantly. They are now predominantly from countries in the Indian sub-Continent, the Middle East, Russia and China. These are places with very different ethics. Another major source of disturbance is the Lady Boys who dupe naive visitors with a view to stealing. They need reining in.

Thailand still have the countries to have 60 day free stay which is wrong. All the crime activities are initiated by those criminals welcomed to take advantage of 60+30 day

I forgot to say the statistics in the next 12 months will prove that all the Europeans and other visitors restricted by 30 days will choose another country to go to and the bad behaving tourists will continue with their headlining misbehaviour news on social media and TV news.......let's wait and see if true stat figures will be published

6 hours ago, Nomadic1460 said:

I forgot to say the statistics in the next 12 months will prove that all the Europeans and other visitors restricted by 30 days will choose another country to go to and the bad behaving tourists will continue with their headlining misbehaviour news on social media and TV news.......let's wait and see if true stat figures will be published

Another poster declaring that people are "restricted by 30 days".

No you are not - Brits (for example) can get a SETV for 60 days - it takes about 20 minutes online!