Will Tourist Visas Be Free Again After 1st April2010

[visarunner]

in early March Thai Visa.com has informed that the Thai cabinet has approved a request by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism to waive again the fee for Toursit Visa from 1st April 2010 to 31th March 2011.

However so far I have not seen any official confirmation from any official source.

Can anyone clarify, thanks

EDIT:

The Thai Forein Ministry has announced on 26 April that tourist visas will be free from May 11 2010 till march 31 2011

Mario2008

[Maestro]

If I remember correctly, the last two times announcements about free tourists visas were made they appeared in the Thai papers a few days after they took effect.

--

Maestro

[johndpoole]

Yes, it is supposed to go back to being free on the 1st. I had just got one this month and was explained they extended the free visa program but that I fell into the few week period where there was a gap in this promotion.

[visarunner]

unfortunate today the Thai Embassies in Vientiane/Laos and in Phnom Penh/Cambodia still collected the fees for a Tourist Visa.

[george]

Free visa and $10,000 riot insurance for tourists extended by one year

Full story:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Free-Visa-US...ce-t343775.html

[visarunner]

Free visa and $10,000 riot insurance for tourists extended by one year

Full story:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Free-Visa-US...ce-t343775.html

I have checked with some Visarun companies and they confirmed that their customers and all other people have been charged today for the Tourist Visa application at the Thai Embassy in Vientiane/Laos and Phnom Penh/Cambodia.

Another member reported that she and others paid the fee in Khota Bharu.

I guess the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not informed the new policy to their Embassies yet.

[elcondor]

confirm that in Vientiane today they were charging for tourist visas

seems the thai are once again making fools of themselves

[imjustagirl]

confirm that in Vientiane today they were charging for tourist visas

seems the thai are once again making fools of themselves

Yes today was told no free visa as they had not been informed yet...Kota Bharu Malaysia. i wish i was shocked but too used to it now, probably went in her pocket or the embassy managers pocket...

[gotlost]

Typical Thai Bureaucracy BS.

[Mario2008]

I have checked a few embassy and consulates websites, but none mentiones the free visas. It is not unthinkeble that the Foreign mininistry forgot to inform the embassies and consulates about the policy. In the past the policy was always implemented a few days later than the planned start.

[syd barrett]

The Royal Thai Embassy websites in London and Hull have not been updated regarding free tourist visas.

[visarunner]

I have checked a few embassy and consulates websites, but none mentiones the free visas. It is not unthinkeble that the Foreign mininistry forgot to inform the embassies and consulates about the policy. In the past the policy was always implemented a few days later than the planned start.

if that is the case we should, hopefully, see some positive news by early next week.

[rusty72]

The very same is in Vienna embassy, and Bratislava Consulate....nobody heard about free visa...

[tropo]

if that is the case we should, hopefully, see some positive news by early next week.

As far as Vientiane is concerned, the most positive news will be that they continue to charge.

[brycat]

Had to pay the fee in Chennai, India today too. Bummer but it's nice to know other embassies/ consulates are doing the same thing. We thought the Chennai consulate just decided to... uh.... ignore the new policy.

[tiz435]

At Chicago Consulate today was told that it had not been announced yet, and I had to pay. TiT

[RickSee]

I can add Paris to the list of the unaware embassies. Furthermore, they now require the applicant to show evidence of two confirmed flights if they are applying for two entries (btw, charged at EUR 25/entry).

[haudegen]

no news for the topic "Will Tourist Visas Be Free Again After 1st April2010" ???

i have to go tomorrow to laos... would be nice to know its free or not...

[lopburi3]

It is not currently free at any location.

[visarunner]

It is not currently free at any location.

Thanks K. Lopburi,

have tried to get further Information from Embassies and MFA , but without success.

I wonder from which source thaivisa got this and why no one has done any update on such important issue.

Hundreds of people have read the original topic and made plans.

[lopburi3]

I expect there may be a lot of loose ends at the current time and tourist visa are probably not the most pressing issue this week in the eyes of the Thai government.

[Penefattore]

It is not unthinkeble that the Foreign mininistry forgot to inform the embassies and consulates about the policy.

Especially when you consider who is the Foreign Minister

[Silverex]

I was in PP in Jan and got a free 60 day visa.

[thaiphoon]

That was under the old tourist visa promotion that ended on 4th March. What we are talking about here is the new 'free visa' promotion which was supposed to have started on 1st April.

[bdenner]

Not free in Brisbane today either and not surprising with Song Khran pending.

[supbangkok]

KL wants cash B1,100 today.

[syd barrett]

The UK Hull consulate website has been down for several hours, maybe they are updating the free visa info.

[penguinchris]

Los Angeles consulate hasn't updated their website either. I emailed them some questions a couple of weeks ago, and the guy who replied was very nice and answered fully and clearly my other questions, but when I asked if the visas would be free after the first, and his answer basically amounted to "I can't comment on that right now" - he said to check the website as the latest information will be posted will be posted there. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear that the site has actually been updated since the *beginning* of the last free visa period.

If there's no word in the next few days, I'll contact the guy at the consulate to see if he knows anything. I'm not leaving for Thailand until early July so I've got some time, but I don't want to sit around on my hands worrying about getting my visa, and I know that if I go ahead and pay for it then the very next day the free visas will be announced

[syd barrett]

The Thai consulate in Hull is back online but no mention of free tourist visas.

[zappalot]

today, april the 8th., in vientiane/laos they still collect 1000 baht/entry.