Long stay programme

[Rinrada]

I have been trying to find out more on the "Long Stay" Programme as mentioned last year in the Sunday Times and this turned up in my inbox...FYI.

Its seems that we are known as SNOWBIRDS because we come from cold countries...think thats quite nice (rather than fa-langgs-fel-angs-ful-ungs etc)

anyway...

 1. The Cabinet approved a project promoting Longstay Tourism in Thailand on 26 June, 2001.

 

2. A National Committee and three Sub-Committees for promoting and developing Longstay Tourism have been set up.

 

3. TAT consulted with the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) to cooperate and promote Longstay Tourism. TAT is also in the process of setting up the standards of accommodation and services to be an official guideline for related business operators.

 

4. TAT consulted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the adjustment of the application procedure of an O-A visa.

   

4.1  To change the qualifying age to fifty years old or above. This is for facilitating those tourists who have retired early.

   

4.2  Applicants must either have a deposit of an amount equal to no less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate (original copy) with a monthly salary of no less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income that totals no less than 800,000 Baht a year in order to apply for the one-year O-A visa.

   

4.3  To promote the concept of Longstay Tourism to the Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad. The interested tourists have to present their financial or income statement to the Royal Thai Embassy or the Consulate in order to apply for the O-A visa.

   

4.4  The application period (from the day they send an application until they receive the result) should not exceed twenty days.

 

5. The Longstay Coordination Centre was set up on the 20th Fl., at TAT head office:

Tourism Authority of Thailand,

Le Concorde Building,

20 A Fl., 202 Ratchadaphisek Rd.,

Huai Kwang, Bangkok,

Thailand 10310  

 

6. TAT consulted with the Immigration Bureau to improve the application system for the O-A Visa.

   

6.1  Approve the outcome of the consultation between TAT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

   

6.2  Give the Royal Thai Embassies or Consulates abroad the authority to issue the O-A visa. Any extension of the period of stay has to be requested directly from the Immigration Bureau.

   

6.3  The Cabinet approved the procedures and qualifications of those who would like to apply for a resident's visa for special investment purposes. The application for this category of visa must be submitted to the Immigration Bureau. When an interested person whose age is fifty years and above receives the resident's visa by investing in Thailand an amount of ten million baht or above (buys a condominium or government bonds), his/her spouse will also obtain the same type of visa without paying any additional fee.

 

7. The Sub-Committee for the Policy and Business Plan announced the first five potential provinces for promoting the Longstay Programme:  

   7.1  Chiang Mai

   7.2  Sukhothai

   7.3  Hua Hin, Cha-am

   7.4  Kanchanaburi

   7.5  Nong Kai

 

8. A webpage about Longstay was included in TAT's website.

 

9. The Longstay concept has been promoted through a competition in creating a slogan for Longstay. The winning slogan is "Having a Longstay in Thailand feels like home."

 

10. The first public seminar to promote the principles and concepts of Longstay was organised on 10 September, 2001, at the Department of Public Relations.

 

11. The Japanese-Thai Subcommittee was set up to evaluate the impediments that the Japanese Longstay visitors have faced and to facilitate their needs. In the future, the Thai-European Subcommittee to study the European market will be set up.  

 

12. The proposal to set up a One-Stop Service Centre to facilitate Longstay visitors on the issue of regulations and rules was approved by the Cabinet. Moreover, the proposal on the establishment of the Thai Longstay Management Corporation to promote this programme was approved. The government will hold thirty percent of the total share, while the other seventy percent will be held by the private sector.  

 

13. Questionnaires asking foreigners in Thailand for information have been given to the Immigration Bureau to collect the relevant data that would be beneficial for further studies about this programme.

 

14. A plan to set up a working group to promote and develop Longstay Tourism in the first five potential provinces is in the process of approval.

 

15. The promotion of Longstay Tourism has already been broadcasted in some media.

 

16. Senior journalists were invited to attend the meeting promoting the concept of Longstay Tourism at the Chao Soi Restaurant, World Trade Center on 15 October, 2001.  

 

17. An IT Booth for Longstay was presented in the Thailand Tourism Festival 2001 at Muang Thong Thani.

 

18. The 3rd meeting of the National Committee to promote and develop Longstay Tourism was held on 6 December, 2001.  

 

19. There is a plan to set up an organization to collect the information about those people who have already obtained a resident's visa. This is to follow up their status as Longstay visitors in Thailand.  

 

20. TAT organized the Longstay Thank You Party to appoint the current Longstay visitors to be ambassadors and to promote Longstay tourism to the world on11 December, 2001.

21. A working group to be responsible for setting and examining the standards of accommodation and services has been set up. The workshop of this working group will be held on 14 January, 2002. This workshop is for presenting the standards of accommodation and services to the providers. The providers will be allowed to make comments concerning this issue. In addition, the comments will be studied and used to improve the standards.

A bit mre reading at the following..

http://www.tat.or.th/longstay/index.html ::