China Now Requires A Letter Of Invitation For Tourist From Thailand

[jcw]

Those wishing to go to China as tourist now need an invitation. Google "China has tightened visa rules for visitors, adding requirements for a letter of invitation and proof of hotel reservations in a move that could slow its push to become the world's biggest tourism destination." to get more information.

I wonder if this is for HK as well? If so, it may make using Cathay Pacific Airlines less desirable or any China Airlines in reliality.

[CP3]

I just came back from China. No need visa nor invitation.

Edited August 24, 2012 by CP3

[meatballs]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

[Crossy]

Applied for and received Chinese Tourist visa a couple of weeks ago, after three (yes three) trips to the embassy to get the paperwork in order on my fourth visit I finally received a visa valid for a stay of 12 days (actual trip was 5).

They finally received from me:-

Both visa forms A and B

Confirmed flights

Confirmed hotel booking

A non-immigrant visa of some form (if you have any type of Thai tourist visa or visa exemption, forget getting a China visa)

Your Work Permit (I'm on a work extension here, don't know how married or retirees will get on)

A Certificate of Employment (ditto above)

Copies of your PP photo page and permission to stay / extension

But no requirement for an invitation although one is required for a business visa along with a letter of intent from your Thai employer.

[SantiSuk]

The Chinese Ambassador to London said last night

"We looked carefully at all the visa requirements of countries in our region and noted that those with very lax immigration requirements suffered greatly from what I think you English call 'riff-raff". We were particularly worried that China might become another Thailand - have you seen the quality of the people that are settling there, drunks, druggies, vagabonds and thieves the lot of them?"

[Thailand]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

You must have been there a very long time to have seen it all?

[CP3]

China has no interesting places? You'r joking right?

[Thailand]

I just came back from China. No need visa nor invitation.

Are you Chinese or did you go to an SAR?

[bangkokburning]

My friend who has been teaching in a private school making serious cash reports to me that his school is unable to get him a visa and this has been case for years. He could not make his own work visa - denied AND his tourist visa in CA - denied. He flew to HKG and got a visa. He lives day to day and believes he will get chased out by the coppers one fine day not to far in the distance.

There are scores of idiots flowing in to scrape English jobs as the economy is so poor outside. The money in China is poor and the hassles not unlike Korea - not quite as bad, but just as dishonest with contracts and pay.

The riff raff might be these new teachers.

HAH just anothe reason not to go to that shitty, polluted corrupt commie country where visas are US100. Sorry wifey.

Who cares anyway, outside Tibet what's to see other than a half dozen sites spread hither and yon.

Edited August 25, 2012 by bangkokburning

[althemighty]

I am travelling through china on a 12 hour stopover at shanghai. does this apply to transit visa? I know Australia needs no visa but my wife is thai and I need to get her a transit visa.

[Thailand]

The Chinese Ambassador to London said last night

"We looked carefully at all the visa requirements of countries in our region and noted that those with very lax immigration requirements suffered greatly from what I think you English call 'riff-raff". We were particularly worried that China might become another Thailand - have you seen the quality of the people that are settling there, drunks, druggies, vagabonds and thieves the lot of them?"

Nice, I see you hooked one already.

[LuckyLew]

This is just communism at work

Now they want to control their citizens and now that want total control over tourists

There are enough places to visit with less stringent visa rules

[overherebc]

This might help

TANJOOBERRYMUTTS.doc

[jcw]

It was an article in "the other paper". These are requirements from 1st Sept 2012.

Personally, if they want me to go and do all this for a visa, no probs wont go there. But I do wonder if it will effect HK though.

[hagler]

2) Tourist Visa (L Visa)

One of the following documents is required:

- An Invitation Letter for Tourist Group of Invitation Letter for Tourist by a Duly Authorized Tourism Unit;

- An Invitation Letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China. If the invitation letter is issued by an individual in China, the photocopy of the ID of the individual is required.

- photocopy of the roundtrip airline ticket and hotel reservation.

Taken from the Chinese embassy website in the US

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/adr/

As usual with TV the sky is not falling down but that doesn't stop the panickers and neenannys coming out.

The "changes" do not apply to SAR zones Macau and HK

[overherebc]

I think it's pretty obvious that as a tourist you would not need an invitation. Who would issue it and make themselves responsible for you on your vacation, the tourist agency ? I don't think so.

[jcw]

You know what, I really don't care what you think, and I regret I even bought it to your attention, I should let you suffer when you wanted to go for your own trip.

Here is an article that is very similar to the one from that of a newspaper when not allowed to mention, this one is from Bloomberg, here are a couple of snips from it and its link here.

China’s embassies and consulates in countries including Japan, Thailand and New Zealand also posted the new rules on their websites.Travelers applying for tourist visas, must submit a letter from an “authorized tourism unit,” company or person inviting them to China, along with a photocopy of their round-trip ticket and hotel reservation, according to rules posted on the website of China’s embassy in the U.S.

[stevenl]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

Apparently they are worldwide number 3 now in foreign visitors, after France and USA.

[jcw]

What this might be about, Is Chinese government officials or their family to set up tourist visa invitation shops, you know, hundred dollar fee for an invitation, just another Asian corrupt scam to fleece foreign visitors as the Asian way is that they think it will not have any negative impact, anyway it's a short-term gain.

[davejones]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

You must be very hard to please. It's laughable that you didn't find anything interesting in China. What exactly interests you?

Edited August 25, 2012 by davejones

[kevinsan]

There is a change of government this year. They want a smooth transition without prying eyes. No problems should another Tienanmen erupt. Vietnam used to do the same whenever there was a party convention or distinguished foreign visitors were scheduled to arrive. Vietnam would just stop issuing all visas.

[Payboy]

China visa situation has been getting tougher since the Beijing Olympics. No, definitely no xenophobia there.

[maithigh]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

The top 10 international tourism destinations in 2011 were:^[3][4]

Rank Country UNWTO

Region International

tourist

arrivals

(2011)^[2] International

tourist

arrivals

(2010)^[2] Change

(2010 to

2011) 1 France Europe 79.5 million 77.1 million +3.0% 2 United States North America 62.3 million 59.8 million +4.2% 3 China Asia 57.6 million 55.7 million +3.4% 4 Spain Europe 56.7 million 52.7 million +7.6% 5 Italy Europe 46.1 million 43.6 million +5.7% 6 Turkey Europe 29.3 million 27.0 million +8.7% 7 United Kingdom Europe 29.2 million 28.3 million +3.2% 8 Germany Europe 28.4 million 26.9 million +5.5% 9 Malaysia Asia 24.7 million 24.6 million +0.6% 10 Mexico North America 23.4 million 23.3 million +0.5% Note: see the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer for the full rankings.^[2]

[maithigh]

2) Tourist Visa (L Visa)

One of the following documents is required:

- An Invitation Letter for Tourist Group of Invitation Letter for Tourist by a Duly Authorized Tourism Unit;

- An Invitation Letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China. If the invitation letter is issued by an individual in China, the photocopy of the ID of the individual is required.

- photocopy of the roundtrip airline ticket and hotel reservation.

Taken from the Chinese embassy website in the US

http://www.china-emb.../eng/visas/adr/

As usual with TV the sky is not falling down but that doesn't stop the panickers and neenannys coming out.

The "changes" do not apply to SAR zones Macau and HK

Taken from the Chinese Embassy in BKK website

4,Applicants for Tourist Visa without an invitation letter or traveling individually should submit the supporting materials under item 3(3).

5,Round-trip flight and accommodation bookings.

http://www.chinaembassy.or.th/eng/lsfw/qzxk/t959329.htm

[Pseudolus]

By the way, for those who have no understanding, HK run their own border control, not China.

Edited August 25, 2012 by tombkk
: Derogatory remark removed.

[JanKlaasen]

The Chinese Ambassador to London said last night

"We looked carefully at all the visa requirements of countries in our region and noted that those with very lax immigration requirements suffered greatly from what I think you English call 'riff-raff". We were particularly worried that China might become another Thailand - have you seen the quality of the people that are settling there, drunks, druggies, vagabonds and thieves the lot of them?"

He might be right,lot of Chinese in Thaiand.

How many days ago that the latest call center with only chinese involved was shut down?

[impulse]

I think it's pretty obvious that as a tourist you would not need an invitation. Who would issue it and make themselves responsible for you on your vacation, the tourist agency ? I don't think so.

You may be surprised. They can and do implement some pretty interesting rules.

Similar visa hurdles were implemented during the runup to the 2008 Olympics- though not exactly the same as described.

It was almost impossible to get a business visa during 2008 and not surprisingly, in every local article about deporting a foreign protester at the Olympics, they invariably mentioned the deportee was on a tourist visa. Why that mattered, I have no clue.

I spent quite a few weekends in Korea with other expats who had done business in China for years, and some that claimed to own factories they couldn't visit because they couldn't get a business visa at all and could not get any visa without going back to their country of residence. They had come to Korea like they normally do for a visa run and were stuck with the choice of staying in Seoul, or going back home.

Fortunately, the rules (and importantly, the application of those rules) eased up quite a bit after the Olympics and some other events soon after. But I calculated that the Olympics cost me an extra $12,000 in monthly visa runs that year- and I never darkened the door of even one event

I could see where they would limit tourists and visitors to those that someone in China would vouch for in the runup to their leadership change this year. That way, if you do plan to protest or cause other problems, you may not find anyone willing to vouch for you. I also know I'd be real reluctant to make a scene if I knew it would cause trouble upon the friend, colleague or supplier who had vouched for me.

Hopefully, this is another temporary visa debacle to avoid "situations" at a sensitive moment in China's political history, and things will go back to normal soon after.

And it seems Hagler's link has pointed out that you only need one of the 3, and asking for a round trip ticket and hotel reservation seems pretty reasonable.

Edited August 25, 2012 by impulse

[stefb1964]

This sounds like a panicking crowd. Before you do, read the lines word by word. If you doubt about the rules, ask the embassy before starting a panic-wave.

[meatballs]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

Apparently they are worldwide number 3 now in foreign visitors, after France and USA.

Probably most of the "visitors" are just Chinese immigrants traveling back & forth.

You wouldn't believe the problems I had just to get a China tourist visa. I had to pay a huge amount of money for the visa because I"m American.

So who in their right mind would want to travel there? Besides, much more interesting places can be found elsewhere in the region.

[meatballs]

China largest tourist destination? Yeah, right. I didn't find it very interesting and there were not many international tourists either.

The top 10 international tourism destinations in 2011 were:^[3][4]

Rank Country UNWTO

Region International

tourist

arrivals

(2011)^[2] International

tourist

arrivals

(2010)^[2] Change

(2010 to

2011) 1 France Europe 79.5 million 77.1 million +3.0% 2 United States North America 62.3 million 59.8 million +4.2% 3 China Asia 57.6 million 55.7 million +3.4% 4 Spain Europe 56.7 million 52.7 million +7.6% 5 Italy Europe 46.1 million 43.6 million +5.7% 6 Turkey Europe 29.3 million 27.0 million +8.7% 7 United Kingdom Europe 29.2 million 28.3 million +3.2% 8 Germany Europe 28.4 million 26.9 million +5.5% 9 Malaysia Asia 24.7 million 24.6 million +0.6% 10 Mexico North America 23.4 million 23.3 million +0.5% Note: see the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer for the full rankings.^[2]

I never saw many foreign visitors there. Thailand has the most international visitors in Asia based on my observations.