Free Visa Plan Backfires On Thai Honorary Consulates

[oops]

The bad side of it is... they most likely under reported all this time on the earnings to help finance their retirement fund, now the amount supplemented  is less than that of what they normally would earn leaving their retirement fund.....retired .  oops!

I have to agree with another post....I seen it coming.

[paulbrun]

Do you really believe that people will come only in thailand because they can have a free visa ?

what is the financial impact of such a measure for the holiday budget

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

They do in Singapore..!

[animatic]

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Free spending money ?

Free !!! such a word do not even exist in the thai language

Not to put too fine a point on it but Thai means Free in Thai language....

A 'thai wisa' is by definition free.

A visa to Thailand might or might not be.

Foot shooting season is never closed.

It is 24/7 including leap years.

Projectile impellers supplied gratis!

[Ulysses G.]

My local consulate is just down the street about 2 blocks from me but

In my case it would actually serve me better if they went away since then the DC embassy would then have jurisdiction over my application and they have indicated before that they would be happy to issue me a Non Immigration Multi Type O visa which my local consulate will never do. So I say to hel_l with my local consulate and the arrogant people who work there.

You do not have to use yiur local consulate. In fact, yiu can use ANY Thai Embassy or Consulate in the US and it is still legal. Just ignore them in the future!

[thaibkk]

consulates and embassies are paid by their own government, normally

so they actually make millions on our back to sponsor tourists and even more money

i laugh with the lack of vision of the government

as in my own country, if the government promises something for free (for election purposes for example) than you will be sure the working class will always pay for it (more or new hidden taxes)

thanks to the wild closure of the airports last year and other nice events, tourist will be scared to come here and good for them to chose a less wild west 3rd world country to spend their vacations and money

who would blame them

if i have no connection (family) here, i would certainly never come (again), what about you ?

but i guess a certain kind of sex tourist will always come here to find cheap puss

[khaowong1]

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Free spending money ?

free bar fines and major discounts on short time hotel stays?

[ChiangMaiFurnishedApts]

As someone mentioned earlier, saving 25 Euro on the cost of a visa would not be the deciding factor that will attract people to this country. People still have to take the afternoon off work ....... to take their passport to get the visa in the first place.

Subsidised flights might do the trick, the offer of vat free shopping in stores without the hassle of trying to claim it back and perhaps a better exchange rate will draw tourists.

Who knows what is ahead of us if this swine flu gets worse. Tourists scare easily sadly and with the economy the way it is people will be staying at home this year anyway.

[damian5000]

... Changing the length of the visa would be nice...But whoever thought that giving free visas would increase tourism is a moron....As well as whoever had the brilliant 15 day land crossing visas idea. I'd bet Burma had their nose in that one somewhere.

[selftaopath]

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Free spending money ?

Free !!! such a word do not even exist in the thai language

Oh how I'm finding that to be true. Has anyone successfully returned an item to a retail store in LOS(Lack of Sanctions)? Also I'm finding that the "free" money given to "up country" folks is now being paid back by foreigners requesting work permits. How? Extortion. The requirement is for a foreigner to pay the sum for 4 Thai people to the social fund so the fund can get back what it gave out. Can you spell corrupt? And do the rich and powerful really wonder a/b the consequences of any of their actions? LOL ahhhhhhhhhhhh doubt it.

[phuketrichard]

I have said this more than once. More than 75% of "TOURISTS" come for less than 30 days so they dont need a visa anyway. tourists?? ( or in some of u all case a family of 4) can in no way in these times travel for 2 months to thailand and a savings of 4,000 baht over 2 months dont mean shit.

This is only helping the people that are trying to use the system to stay here and cant get the correct visa that allows them to and in the end the ones thailand wants to get rid of anyway.

So all in all another case of Thailand having no idea what Marketing is.

Edited June 26, 2009 by phuketrichard

[sickinthailand]

It seem like people will just complain anyway for whatever the government do.

Thai gov tightening the re-entry related rule, people will complain saying that thai will loose more tourist. but if it happen back in their own country, the very same people will probably support it!

Thai gov try to give free visa, people can still find a thing to complain… on and on.

One thing to remind, "Thailand is a 3rd world country." Do not expect anything too much from this country! That is what I told every of my friends coming back with me each year or two.

I really don't get it why some still complain when a 3rd world country try to give you a free visa!

If their system can effectively work, little to no corruption or backward officer try to stop whatever good policy just because they loose some extra income, Thailand would never stay here as a 3rd world country.

Remember that every country has a reason to do something for their security. yeah, even for a 3rd world country like thailand.

If you open enough to live or travel aboard, why not you try to open and understand that every country is not the same.

even your own country can not please you everything.

As for some thai consulates officer complained about loosing income buy the free visa police, it also sound stupid to me.

They don't mind to spend money for thai height-So, taking care and show this people around, act like tour guide but using government money! on the other hands they complain about this free visa which will possible generated more income back for the country!

Ask any rich thai with connection with height rang thai government officer, military, whoever with power. who will take care of them providing free guesthouse, transportation, translator and guide when they go aboard even if it is just personal visiting notthing to do with the country work!

Funny talking about close consulates because they got no income from the visa fee! I would love to see they do it for real, and loose their job.

If you put any type of income on thai government officer's hands, they will always have a way to sneak it out for their own use.

Sad to say but that keep Thailand is Thailand today!

Now government try to do something that keep money away from this people hands, no wonder they don't like it.

[HagenvonTronje]

You would think someone would say "what are the side effects if we implement this new rule?" Thinking ahead is not the Thai way.

How cares if some Canadian Honorary starts to make a whiner. A disgrace.

Maybe it's some gesture to an other travel market than the western world. The number of Asian arrivals is much bigger. The numbers of visitors from the gulf states or Central Eurasia on the raise. Some gesture to get something back for Thai travellers in these countries.

It’s maybe also aimed at the regional competition. One for sure, you don't lure so much new traveller to Thailand, but maybe you keep the arrivals inside without them doing a visa run after one month.

Thailand sets the tourist visa price at zero, what is wrong with that? and forgetting to thinking ahead of what actually?

[ozzieman05]

Would a free Visa interest me to bring the Thai wife and kids back to Thailand ,

No

Add to this an increase in Accomodation over the last 12 months

Bigger and even bigger traffic jams ( adds about 30% to the taxi meter waiting for the traffic to clear

The treat of another problem with the red shirts

Hotels now closing half their facilities as not enough tourist

These facts are based on now as we are in Bkk now

a 60 channel tv selection has dropped to 14

swimming pool filtration only for 4 hrs a day

bed bugs in a 4 star hotel

1.2 to get from Big C Pratunam to Victory Monument

Hotel cost up $32 %

And you think a free visa is really going to make a big difference

[sickinthailand]

Would a free Visa interest me to bring the Thai wife and kids back to Thailand ,

No

......

And you think a free visa is really going to make a big difference

i don't think a country will do the free visa just to please an individual or a family to come back!

and i don't think they give out free visa just because they want to fix whatever problem you are seeing in thailand now.

boost the tourist need more than just a free visa policy. i think they know about that.

"i think" the free visa is just a making up for the tougher immigration rules they introduce earlier.

for those came here, did the visa run, now they don't have to spend time and money doing that. they can just go and get the free visa before they come.

they sure have many more reason doing that which i don't know.

Edited June 26, 2009 by sickinthailand

[SantiSuk]

Do you really believe that people will come only in thailand because they can have a free visa ?

what is the financial impact of such a measure for the holiday budget

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Actually they did give candy (in the form of a free bunch of Lingching (sp?) ponlammai and given by ToT I presume, not immigration) the last time I came into Suvarnabhumi - 28th May. I thought that was a nice touch.

Edited June 26, 2009 by SantiSuk

[Jing-jo]

OMG. Who is surprised that the government failed to reimburse for the lost visa fees?

Surely the Thai government will come through with money aid to make up for the loss of revenue. In this case they really don't have a choice...or are they just going to shoot themselves in the foot as they usually do?

Anyone would think the Thai gov was a bloody millipede crossed with a geko they shoot themselves in the foot that often!!

[SantiSuk]

Lighten up boys and girls.

So the Thais - no doubt vaguely aware that the likes of TV.com are all constantly bitching about visas - try to do something and they fail to think through all the consequences.

I find that charming rather than pathetic. If I wanted a nation of highly regulated smart-arse public servants I would go back and live in the F***ing UK! Enjoy the cultural diversity for heaven's sake.

[samran]

Ah, the law of unintended consequences can provide for good things to happen sometimes.

In one foul swoop, the Thai government has acheived via instigating a 'visa free' policy what it has been trying to do by other means, stamp out long termers living here pretending to be 'tourists'.

The honourary consultates who have been handing out visas like there was no tomorrow are potentially screwed. The only reason they were handing out these things easily anyway was that their livelyhood dependend on it, with no regards to the actual spirit of the law.

The only people I really feel sorry for with this change is those who have family here and who never were able to qualify for extensions based on the income rules and relied on these places. They should - as a matter or right - been granted long stay visas and work rights given there family status, as a matter of course (in my opinion).

[skooldaze]

Do you really believe that people will come only in thailand because they can have a free visa ?

what is the financial impact of such a measure for the holiday budget

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

Actually yes they will, since one visa is for a 1000 Baht for many this means an extra night of accomodation, hence a family of four will get for extra nights or extra shopping money

And do you honestly think that a family of four is going to stay in thailand for more than A MONTH on vacation. Think again.

[Grey11]

Perhaps some of these consulates who have very strict rules and requirements should offer the 1 year non immigrant 'O' visa in a similar manner to that offered by the Consulate in Hull, that would generate them a lot more income.

If these non cooperative consulates go out of business then in my opinion they deserve it. It's within their power to issue these year long visas to all comers but they choose not to.

My wife and I paid $175 each for a one year visa last month at the Royal Thai Consulate in Houston. We are moving permanently to Phuket the last week of July.

[99BigLad99]

I wont mind paying the Hull consulate a fee for my visa they are the most helpful consulate I have ever come across ande just hope that they stay in business

[Hanimal]

I am a bit confused. Surely the Thai government relies on honorary consuls to issues the free visas that is wants to use to encourage the tourism industry, and by putting them out of business the total number of visas that could possibly be issued will decrease by a large amount?

[sickinthailand]

I am a bit confused. Surely the Thai government relies on honorary consuls to issues the free visas that is wants to use to encourage the tourism industry, and by putting them out of business the total number of visas that could possibly be issued will decrease by a large amount?

i don't think thai gov try to put any of their own consuls out of business. i can not see any mention from thai gov about that on the news.

it is only an idea from some people think that it might hurt the consuls. and it doesn't proof any right or wrong.

if it right, and the country loose rather than gain, i am sure the gov will stop doing this.

if the country can generate more income and still can pay the salary, the facility etc for each consuls, then you can see that people complain about this mush loose some thing for their own, it is not the country or the consuls itself that loose anything.

[Latindancer]

[quote name='samran' date='2009-06-26 09:10:03' post='2831171'

The only people I really feel sorry for with this change is those who have family here and who never were able to qualify for extensions based on the income rules and relied on these places. They should - as a matter or right - been granted long stay visas and work rights given their family status, as a matter of course (in my opinion).

I agree ! As would many people here....

[edgarfriendly]

Agreed!!

but for everyone who deserves something and doesnt get it, theres 3-4 ppl getting something they dont deserve.

ef.

[seri thai]

What next ? They will give candy at the immigration

They do already, but you have to be early!

[tomartoh]

At the bottom of the page it says 584 users are reading this thread

Thats a lot of us people with nothing to do better than spout a load of rubbish about some inconsequential action of the the Thai government.

Come on guys, you know that nothing is ever thought through in this country, so what are you complaining about. Nothing changes. The golden goose will carry on being f....d till it drops

[jellymeister]

They need to think out of the box.

Maybe they could put ATM's at the consulates and charge farang mandatory 150 baht(local currency equivalent of course) to use them...or charge an admission fee for the privilege of entering the premises.....

[thaibkk]

maybe some of us do not need to work anymore and can spend time however they like

except the completly useless mandatory 90 day reporting stuff

and the yearly extention

[Spalpeen]

Consulate in Dublin website still showing that they require a fee.

If the fee there was waived until 2010 they really would be shagged, their service is limited enough as it is.

If you think that's bad you should try dealing with the Irish consulate in Bangkok. A truly staggering level of incompetence.