Thailand Tourist Arrivals To Hit 20 Million This Year

[IsaanUSA]

Totally guessing....but I bet the amount of tourists doing "border runs" are in a very small minority of tourists in Thailand. I would guess that a huge majority of the tourists here are regular tourists here on a vacation/holiday.

[Nisa]

Totally guessing....but I bet the amount of tourists doing "border runs" are in a very small minority of tourists in Thailand. I would guess that a huge majority of the tourists here are regular tourists here on a vacation/holiday.

As you say, totally guessing but I would think it would be 5% or less. I also wouldn't be surprised to find the number of expats declining as the number of tourists increase.

[mok199]

...cough cough cough....tell me ,i live in pattaya nua...the tour buses are destroying this city........

[noob7]

So if people went from doing 30 day border runs to doing 15 day border runs the border runs will double but if they went from doing 30-day tourist runs to doing 90-day tourist runs then the number is going to be 66% less. My guess is people moved to Tourist Visas and the number should go down but be interesting to look up how much the number of land crossing for this year changed.

There are lots of (p.ex.) Filipino workers in Thailand, but no work permit for many. In Ranong, lots of Cambodia/Lao girls showing up, these days, too.

Lots of them changed to double entry tourist visas, but many also to 15 Day border runs. In the end all 15 day border runs, because the embassies refuse the tourist visa. But we will see this in the numbers for 2015. That year will tell, if they counting every 2 week run as one tourist!

Edited October 26, 2012 by noob7

[Nisa]

So if people went from doing 30 day border runs to doing 15 day border runs the border runs will double but if they went from doing 30-day tourist runs to doing 90-day tourist runs then the number is going to be 66% less. My guess is people moved to Tourist Visas and the number should go down but be interesting to look up how much the number of land crossing for this year changed.

There are lots of (p.ex.) Filipino workers in Thailand, but no work permit for many. In Ranong, lots of Cambodia/Lao girls showing up, these days, too.

Lots of them changed to double entry tourist visas, but many also to 15 Day border runs. In the end all 15 day border runs, because the embassies refuse the tourist visa. But we will see this in the numbers for 2015. That year will tell, if they counting every 2 week run as one tourist!

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa. However, their numbers appear to be very insignificant in terms of number of tourists. Of the 19 Million foreign visitors recorded last year, only 143,967 were Philippine. If every single Filipino counted last year was doing a border run and no crossing at all was credited as a unique visitor/tourist this would only account for 0.0078 (less than 1%) of total visitors. As for Cambodian, there numbers are even small than the Philippines. As I understand it it is very easy for a Cambodian to cross the border without a passport both legally and illegally.

I believe (my guess) is the way the count arrivals/tourists is by the TM Cards (arrival/departure cards staple in your passport).

As for 2015, what do you mean? Is something changing with the process in 2015?

Edited October 26, 2012 by Nisa

[noob7]

So if people went from doing 30 day border runs to doing 15 day border runs the border runs will double but if they went from doing 30-day tourist runs to doing 90-day tourist runs then the number is going to be 66% less. My guess is people moved to Tourist Visas and the number should go down but be interesting to look up how much the number of land crossing for this year changed.

There are lots of (p.ex.) Filipino workers in Thailand, but no work permit for many. In Ranong, lots of Cambodia/Lao girls showing up, these days, too.

Lots of them changed to double entry tourist visas, but many also to 15 Day border runs. In the end all 15 day border runs, because the embassies refuse the tourist visa. But we will see this in the numbers for 2015. That year will tell, if they counting every 2 week run as one tourist!

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa. However, their numbers appear to be very insignificant in terms of number of tourists. Of the 19 Million foreign visitors recorded last year, only 143,967 were Philippine. If every single Filipino counted last year was doing a border run and no crossing at all was credited as a unique visitor/tourist this would only account for 0.0078 (less than 1%) of total visitors. As for Cambodian, there numbers are even small than the Philippines. As I understand it it is very easy for a Cambodian to cross the border without a passport both legally and illegally.

I believe (my guess) is the way the count arrivals/tourists is by the TM Cards (arrival/departure cards staple in your passport).

As for 2015, what do you mean? Is something changing with the process in 2015?

I'm getting told, from some Filipinos, that there is no need for a visa, anymore, from 2015 on!

No more visa runs, no wp needed, any longer.

Lots of hotel owners waiting for these days, lots of ASEAN people, with English in their CV, waiting to be legally hired, in 2015. A lot of them (not only Filipinos, like I said before) are trying to survive the next 2 years with tourist visas and 15 day visa runs. Because they are already with one foot in the door of the businesses processes.

[Nisa]

I'm getting told, from some Filipinos, that there is no need for a visa, anymore, from 2015 on!

No more visa runs, no wp needed, any longer.

Lots of hotel owners waiting for these days, lots of ASEAN people, with English in their CV, waiting to be legally hired, in 2015. A lot of them (not only Filipinos, like I said before) are trying to survive the next 2 years with tourist visas and 15 day visa runs. Because they are already with one foot in the door of the businesses processes.

Oh yea! I forgot all about this.I didn't (and still don't) know all the details about this but I guess all the ASEAN nations are supposed to have the same treatment /rights wherever they go within the ASEAN region. I really haven't been following this but thought there was also a thread not too long ago that via the headline seemed to indicate Thailand doesn't want to play ball on this part(something about losing visa fees or something). Again, didn't follow the news but just remember the headline which we know can be very deceiving.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Nisa

[IsaanUSA]

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa.

Not bi-weekly. That would be every 3.5 days. I think you meant to say "every two weeks".

[Nisa]

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa.

Not bi-weekly. That would be every 3.5 days. I think you meant to say "every two weeks".

Yes I did and it actually took me some time to think about this before I could agree with you. Not sure why bi-weekly sounds so right to me when talking about every two weeks. It seems like such a common term but I can't think of anything I need or ever needed to do bi-weekly (every 3.5 days). .

One reason this actually stuck out in my mind right now is because I actually needed to leave the country on the 21st this month and as usual waited until the last minute and went to jump on the big bus of one Visa Run Service (I think Quick Visa?) and even though I got there very early there were no seat available. The guy told me you need to make appointments on the weekend because they bus was typically booked by Filipinos on Saturday & Sunday who do visa runs every two weeks. I had no idea it was hard for them to get tourist visas, I just assumed Thailand was happy to give them to anybody willing to pay without much checking.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Nisa

[rubl]

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa.

Not bi-weekly. That would be every 3.5 days. I think you meant to say "every two weeks".

Fortnight - bi-weekly. Funny language that English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-weekly

[Nisa]

I always wondered why those Filipinos always do bi-weekly trips instead of getting a Visa.

Not bi-weekly. That would be every 3.5 days. I think you meant to say "every two weeks".

Fortnight - bi-weekly. Funny language that English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi-weekly

Thanks for that link. I only glanced at it the first time thinking the point was Fortnight would be the proper term. I was really baffled after IsaanUSA's post since I had been using the term all my life. Then it struck me today that if it is wrong everyone I know has been using it wrong all my life and being from the US would explain this. But just from a logical perspective it seemed right but my instinct kept say it was wrong and I kept looking at the word and it just certainly should mean twice a week. Bi-weeks or Biweek should mean every two weeks but bi-weekly should mean twice a week. Odd language indeed...

bi·week·ly   

1. occurring every two weeks.

2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/biweekly

Edited October 28, 2012 by Nisa

[looping]

I guess some individuals on this forum will be helping the govt figures through visa runs. One person could maybe represent 10 tourists. Doesn't it just warm your hearts to know that you can help Yingluck in some way, however trivial?