Free Visa And US$10,000 Riot Insurance For Thailand Tourists Extended By One Year

[monkfish]

Hope they are not advertising this:

Free Visa And US$10,000 Riot Insurance

Somehow its just doesn't sound so good.

[wahwahwah]

R.I.P Visa Factory Vientiane R.I.P

Seems that we all on TR visa need to go for ED visa now then . . .,

This RED stamps annoying me !

Does anyone know if the TR visas in Laos are still free?

If so, when will they stop giving free TR visas?

Sorry if already posted elsewhere

Edited March 3, 2010 by wahwahwah

[dude007]

I hope the goverment do an about face on land transfer fees also, but I guess that is just wishful thinking.

No, but the tier-priced farang entrance fees at national parks will be brought again at 400 THB/person. No distinction between those living here or not... This will recover the 9% loss in tourism revenues with 2009.

Edited March 3, 2010 by dude007

[passport220]

quote from the news story: "The extension will be effective from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011 and appears to leave a three and a half week window in which tourist visas for Thailand will be charged for."

A high national government organization and they still screw it up. Or maybe the 3 and ½ week gap fits into their overall plan

[JimmyChoons]

Sorry for the WAAAAAY off topic Admin.....

Agreed.

How about some useful information on the actual insurance offered apart from the usual this is a rubbish idea/it'll never work/TIT. Does anyone actually have any or should we continue the discusions about Vietnam and the current state of the Baht vs numerous currencies??!?!?!

Since youre so eager to address the "useful information on the actual insurance offered", would you be so kind to enlighten us?

Or are you simply waiting for someone to enlighten you?

I certainly will. Please don't lump me in with the usual "can you tell me how to get to x from x" without searching crowd I work for a living. Before posting I searched both the UK and Thai Tourist sites for information to no avail. Hence my post here. I have since e-mailed both requesting further information when I have this I will post it in this thread if it hasn't been locked due to OT comments.

Now lets get back to US sub-prime market and the devaluation of currencies shall we?

or would that be as you put it "waaaaaaaay off topic?"

Edited March 3, 2010 by JimmyChoons

[WISteve]

I think we westerners have very little talking room. From the Wall Street Journal, Feb 23, 2010;

"Thailand's GDP grew at its quickest pace in 10 years, expanding 3.6% in the fourth quarter from the July-September period. Compared with a year earlier, GDP rose 5.8%. Exports, tourism and agriculture all rebounded, leading the government to upgrade its 2010 forecasts. On a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, the Thai economy grew 15.3%, according to Barclays Capital. "

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405...3478387802.html

So whether tourism is 6% or 8%, I think this is a sign of a rational and pro-active government. Again, many of us in the west have little talking room.

If you have an agenda (like cheering for the present regime) then you will grasp at any statistics, even ones that are blind to history and the country involved. Stating that the Thai economy "grew" at a 15.3% annualized is deceptive and showing lack of knowledge of what was happening in Thailand in the fall of 2008..... It's base effect, silly. 3rd and 4th quarter of 2008 were disasters in Thailand's economy, particularly in tourism and exports, so almost anything will look good compared to that.

Agriculture has been a small part $ wise of the economy in modern history employing the largest single group of people in the country and for that reason it still enjoys a disproportionate amount of social and political clout. The Thais are smart enough to know that feeding yourself is an important national priority and they remain one of the leading exporters of rice in the world.

Manufacturing for export is the economic engine that is driving the "New Thailand" accounting for 40+% of the economy and that is what descended into the depths in the fall of 2008. Any small recovery is welcome but exports are obviously more reliant upon foreign economies willing to buy the products vs actions within the country itself. A large part of that manufacturing base is owned/controlled by foreign companies who built in Thailand to take advantage of what used to be low cost labor and forgiving government regulation. I'm not sure if Thailand will ever recover that edge they had in the past.

As was published in that paper we are not allowed to quote here, tourist arrivals in 2009 were down 3% over an abysmal showing in 2008 so the Thai tourist industry has plenty of room to show positive growth in the coming year! I doubt the incentives offered will have any positive effect on tourist traffic but I'm sure the airlines will welcome a decrease in the landing fees so they are helping those airlines that are struggling. Most tourists that arrive in Thailand are on a 30 day visa waiver stamp so the free tourist visas have little or no effect IMO.

[henryalleman]

Some people seems to neglect the following

help for state agencies to hold seminars and field trips in the country to boost domestic spending; and allows business operators who organise domestic seminars, training courses and tourist destination trips for employees to deduct the cost for tax purposes.

All the above is multi million Baht businnes. My girlfriend have a travel agency speciliaced in those kind of activities.

Incentive trips for 100 and more people in a luxury resort for 3 or 4days who cost more than 3 million baht are realy no exeptions. Seminares of 700 people in 5 stars hotels costs about 2 million baht for 1 day are also no exeptions

For the year 2010 many companies reduced their budgets drastictly, this is hitting the tourist industry very hard, much more than you can imagion. My girlfriend who is an red shirt hardliner and Thaksin fan start to think that this government has some merrits.

Every ministery, Changwat, amphoe or other government institute has is own budget for seminars and meetings, the budgets are huge.

In the sideline I would like to mention that the most prestigious and lucuriuos resorts in Thailand with roomrates up 20 000 Baht are seldom visited by foreign tourists, but mostly by the Hi-So of Thailand. They have no websites and don't make publicity but are only known by the incrowd and specialised travel agencies. So please don't understimate inbound tourism.

[rfukata]

"The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and appears to only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa. Resident expatriates living and working in Thailand on non-immigrant visas do not appear to be covered for death, injury or inconvenience caused by riots."

This measure does't go too far. (only people in possession of 60 day tourist visa?) what percentage of travelers have this 60 days?

the plan should administer all travelers who enters by airport,seaport,land; irregardless of their visa status to fully insure their safety.

just another - poor planning scheme by the Thai authorities.

[tonglen]

Sorry for the WAAAAAY off topic Admin.....

Agreed.

How about some useful information on the actual insurance offered apart from the usual this is a rubbish idea/it'll never work/TIT. Does anyone actually have any or should we continue the discusions about Vietnam and the current state of the Baht vs numerous currencies??!?!?!

Since youre so eager to address the "useful information on the actual insurance offered", would you be so kind to enlighten us?

Or are you simply waiting for someone to enlighten you?

I certainly will. Please don't lump me in with the usual "can you tell me how to get to x from x" without searching crowd I work for a living. Before posting I searched both the UK and Thai Tourist sites for information to no avail. Hence my post here. I have since e-mailed both requesting further information when I have this I will post it in this thread if it hasn't been locked due to OT comments.

Now lets get back to US sub-prime market and the devaluation of currencies shall we?

or would that be as you put it "waaaaaaaay off topic?"

Still waiting for your edification......

You'll notice my original apologies for my OT post were directed to none other than the Admin, which is, I presume not you. Right? Right!

Good day and good luck with your emails.

[moetownblues]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht. I live here and its getting too bloody expensive. They just dont have a clue.

You got that right. Wife and I just came back from our first trip to Vietnam; 10 days for Tet. Everything was cheaper, except clothes shopping than Thailand. There are more international food restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City than Bangkok, they pride themselves in having strict laws against harming foreigners,easier immigration/ work permit laws, and even my Thai wife was amazed and wondered, "what the hel_l we doing staying in Thailand?!?!?!?

Because we care!

[JezQ]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht.

This is the key. Not too bad for the Americans, but totally off putting for anyone with GBP or Euros to spend either as tourists or long stays. I've been in Thailand 6 months and have spent a great deal here. When I arrived here 10,000 baht cost me 182GBP, now it's about 202GBP. I was planning to take several holiday trips to different parts of Thailand during the next 2 or 3 months but have cancelled due to the poor and uncertain exchange rate. I know the fault is with the European economy, not the Thai, but even so if they want to significantly increase the tourists from Europe, and sustain it, this is what they will have to do. Free riot insurance will not change anyone's plans, nor will on/off visa charges, although a radical simplification of the tiresome visa regulations would be very welcome.

[Puccini]

I talked to a friend in Thailand on the phone and he said the TAT was clever to exclude March from the insurance cover. The demonstration announced for 14 March will likely cause disruption for tourists. It wouldn’t be the first time that Bangkok airport gets blockaded and shut down because of political unrest, would it? That’s when this insurance would be useful, not in July/August when I will be in Thailand.

[hyperdimension]

If the insurance is free, then why not accept it?

So can someone please answer this question that was posted?:

how does one apply for/receive this riot insurance?

[inthepink]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht.

This is the key. Not too bad for the Americans, but totally off putting for anyone with GBP or Euros to spend either as tourists or long stays. I've been in Thailand 6 months and have spent a great deal here. When I arrived here 10,000 baht cost me 182GBP, now it's about 202GBP. I was planning to take several holiday trips to different parts of Thailand during the next 2 or 3 months but have cancelled due to the poor and uncertain exchange rate. I know the fault is with the European economy, not the Thai, but even so if they want to significantly increase the tourists from Europe, and sustain it, this is what they will have to do. Free riot insurance will not change anyone's plans, nor will on/off visa charges, although a radical simplification of the tiresome visa regulations would be very welcome.

They cannot selectively devalue the baht against the GBP. It is merely a function of sterling's weakness against the dollar. The baht is a very small player in the forex markets. Moreover, the value of a currency is generally dictated by demand for that currency, i.e. trade deficits / excesses. Take a look at the figures and you will realise that any attempt to devalue the baht would not be sustainable in the long term.

Edited March 7, 2010 by inthepink

[Jirapa]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht. I live here and its getting too bloody expensive. They just dont have a clue.

Between 64 and 72B to the pound when Taksin was in power so I'm sure Thai exports were booming. I know I was happy with 30% more cash and the tourists must have been happier with everything 30% cheaper. Was Taksin really that evil?

[scania]

Free riot insurance is hardly something you can highlight in a travel brochure.

Agree, this is not something we want to see when we are looking for a relaxing holiday or exploration of new places to see. ;-)

[CaptainBluebeard]

For UK nationals who are applying via the Hull consulate there is still a £15 admin charge and £8 fee to return your passport via registered post.

The normal single trip tourist visa fee is £28, so you're saving £13 with the "free" offer.

Their service and turnaround speed is excellent as always ...

[mmhasan]

My relatives applied for Thai Tourist Visas last week in Dhaka/Bangladesh. They had to pay usual visa fees. They got the visa and receipt of payments from the embassy.

Does it imply that the extension of free-visa privilege this time is only valid for selected nationalities? Anybody else got similar experience elsewhere - assuming that there are people from such less-important countries in this forum!

Good day

[quiksilva]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht. I live here and its getting too bloody expensive. They just dont have a clue.

Between 64 and 72B to the pound when Taksin was in power so I'm sure Thai exports were booming. I know I was happy with 30% more cash and the tourists must have been happier with everything 30% cheaper. Was Taksin really that evil?

Good question, perhaps you could start by asking the relatives of the 1400 people who were murdered in the Drug war who were proven to have no connection to the drug trade.

[OzMick]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht. I live here and its getting too bloody expensive. They just dont have a clue.

With You 100% on That one !!!!!

The problem starts in your home country - little Aussie $ doing fine ~฿30 !!!

[Rideau]

It looks like the Thai Government would have to extend the incentive for another 10 years as long as there is no end to the turmoil in sight.

[OzMick]

If they want more tourist they should devalue the baht. I live here and its getting too bloody expensive. They just dont have a clue.

Between 64 and 72B to the pound when Taksin was in power so I'm sure Thai exports were booming. I know I was happy with 30% more cash and the tourists must have been happier with everything 30% cheaper. Was Taksin really that evil?

Using supply/demand theory, perhaps it was because Thaksin was selling off billions of ฿ so he could move his ill-gotten gains off-shore.

More likely, it was before US & UK banks started disappearing down the gurgler.

[syd barrett]

My relatives applied for Thai Tourist Visas last week in Dhaka/Bangladesh. They had to pay usual visa fees. They got the visa and receipt of payments from the embassy.

Does it imply that the extension of free-visa privilege this time is only valid for selected nationalities? Anybody else got similar experience elsewhere - assuming that there are people from such less-important countries in this forum!

Good day

The free tourist visas are supposed to start from today April 1st 2010 or April 1st 2553 B.E.

[Tod Daniels]

Sadly, people are reporting on another T/V sub-forum that next to none of the thai embassies which people went to today were aware the 'free tourist visa deal' had re-upped.

Long on talk and promotion, but a little short on communication with their embassies I think.

Edited April 1, 2010 by tod-daniels

[brycat]

Sadly, people are reporting on another T/V sub-forum that next to none of the thai embassies which people went to today were aware the 'free tourist visa deal' had re-upped.

Long on talk and promotion, but a little short on communication with their embassies I think.

Sad indeed, but true. The other topic can be found here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tourist-Visa...45#entry3463945

[cat5]

Can we have an ORIGINAL link for this information as it is not being implemented? Unreferenced information is just about useless when talking to embassy staff. I can picture it now: "Oh, but I read it on thaivisa.com" to which they reply "5555555".

[jfchandler]

Sorry if I missed the answers above.... But...

1. -- Did anyone ever confirm that the supposed medical and riot insurance coverage talked about by the Thai Govt. ONLY covers those with tourist visas -- thus excluding those who arrival visa exempt or visa on arrival?

2. -- Does anyone know, or seen, an official government web site or other source referencing just what this supposed policy does or does not cover?

3. -- And, if one is a potentially covered tourist, what or where is one supposed to go to obtain or request coverage under the terms of the policy?

[jfchandler]

Curiously, I could find nothing about this subject (waiver of tourist visa fees or travel/riot insurance) on the Tourism Authority of Thailand website...

Thus far, on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site, I found the following scroll info on their Visas page...

All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates-General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa on Arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from Tourist Visa fee from 25 June B.E. 2552 (2009) to 4 March B.E. 2553 (2010). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only.

No mention of the extension from 2010 to 2001 that I can see there...

Makes one wonder....

[topas]

I do not feel like reading all your blabla-comments on free Thai tourist visa, written cosily in an a/c room somewhere in Thailand, so please read my following experience:

concerning thaivisa´s free tourist visas period starting on April 1, 2010, it must have been an Aprilś fool´s joke to everybody interested in visiting Thailand longer than 30 days.

I applied for a free visa on April 20 in New Delhi, but was told to pay 1700++INR. My decision: I prefer to stay in Thailand for 30 days [free on arrival] only & spend the rest of my money in Cambodia.

Coincidently a friend of mine told me today that he went for a tourist visa run to Vientiane [after April 1!!!] & did not get a free tourist visa either.

I wonder whether it is an international Thai Immigration problem or Thaivisa.com malinformation???

[jfchandler]

I think if someone were actually to read the posts above in this thread, they'd get the pretty clear picture that 1) there is indeed a Thai govt policy on this, but 2) it's already pretty well established that different consulates around the world don't always do what the folks back home in LOS dictate on such things....

With all that's been going on back here, it may well be that watching out for farang tourists hasn't ended up being the thing uppermost on the mind of Thai bureaucrats lately...

And then, there's always the differences between how things get publicly reported and how policies are actually implemented. For the first year of the supposed fee free visas last year, I think I recall people seeking multi entry tourist visa being forced to pay, and then folks being told the fee waiver only applied to single entry tourist visas... Can anyone confirm my recollection on that???