The Thai government obviously feels that there are now too many tourists in the country. As of 26 August you will receive a bonus of almost USD50 (TB1900) for leaving the country early. It relates to the one month extension on the tourist visa which used to cost TB500 and will now cost TB1900.

I bet the tourist departments in neighbouring countries are rubbing their hands with glee. Prices for most visas are being hiked and some visa types are changing.

Don't worry if you are just about to come to the country as you can still get 30 days free on arrival by land, or by air if you have an onward/return ticket.

I bet the tourist departments in neighbouring countries are rubbing their hands with glee. Prices for most visas are being hiked and some visa types are changing.

The increase in selected Visa Fee will have little or no effect on Tourism for Thailand, but it would be interesting to know how many 30 days Visa extension the Thai immigration granted last year, to the 10M over tourist who visited Thailand in 2002, and stayed on average 7.98 days (Germans stayed on average 15 days).

maybe i'm missing something, but could anyone please explain where and when i can collect this $50 bonus? leaving bkk soon, and some extra cash would be nice... by the way, are they actually checking outbound airtickets when you arrive now? been coming and going for a few years now, and never have anyone ask for a ticket out of thailand... :cool:

The airlines won't carry you unless you have an outbound ticket within 30days of arrival. The 30 day visa on arrival is strictly for tourism purposes and is available to people with that confirmed outbound ticket.

maybe i'm missing something, but could anyone please explain where and when i can collect this $50 bonus?

As I understood it, there's no cash bonus as such.

The cost of a visa extension is going up, which means that if you leave without seeking one ie if you leave ''early'' then you won't have to pay it ie you'll be spared the extra B1400 (not B1900 as the writer put it).

In that sense the government is giving tourists an incentive not to stay beyond 30 days. If they do, they have to pay extra.

I watched BBc last week and its program fasttracktravel, it was a shorty about thailand and according to the journalist The Tourism Authority of Thailand wanted to have more longtime stay tourist, hows that for a fact that its not true...

"The Tourism Authority of Thailand wanted to have more longtime stay tourist, hows that for a fact that its not true..."

Maybe it is true.   Its Taksin that thinks otherwise.

The airlines won't carry you unless you have an outbound ticket within 30days of arrival. The 30 day visa on arrival is strictly for tourism purposes and is available to people with that confirmed outbound ticket.

is this strictly true.if a tourist plans to fly to thailand and then travel by land to lao, burma,malaysia etc he can no longer do this.that does not sound credible to me .or are you saying that to do this you need to apply for a transit visa ?

also having just got a non imm90 day married mans visa will i be ok to go and apply for another one in vientienne before this expires ?

I flew last year one way from london to bangkok & was asked for return ticket, i told them i didn't have one & that i had enough funds to pay for a ticket in bangkok. They were happy to let me take the flight. I have done this several times before & have never been asked by bkk imm for a forward ticket. Maybe i just jinxed myself!