Japan's visa waiver a boon to Thai tourism

[webfact]

Japan's visa waiver a boon to Thai tourism
By English News



HOKKAIDO, June 13 - Thai and Japanese tourism operators today hailed the move to waive visa requirements for Thais, predicting the number of visitors to the island country will leapfrog.

Takeshi Nishikawa, Hokkaido District Transport Bureau director general, was optimistic that more Thai tourists will visit the northern island of Hokkaido after the visa exemption.

There are currently 30 flights daily between Thailand and Japan, he said.

Rung-napa Kampaya, a Thailand-based tour operator, said the visa waiver will not only jump up the number of tourists to Japan but also facilitate trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Thai Airways International operates direct flights to six major Japanese airports – Narita, Haneda, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Hokkaido, she said, showing confidence that more Thai tourists will visit the country, especially Hokkaido, which is a new destination.

Sansern Ngaorangsi, Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor for Asia and Pacific, said Japan launched a “World Visit Campaign” in 2010 aiming to encourage 20 million Japanese to travel overseas and 10 million tourists to visit Japan, but it did not reach the target.

Anek Srichivachart, Thai-Japanese Tourism Promotion Association president, said the number of 300,000 Thai tourists who visited Japan last year will definitely surge to 400,000-500,000 visitors by the end of this year. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-06-13

[jalansanitwong]

Waiver for who in particular?

All Thai's ? I doubt it.

Edited June 13, 2013 by jalansanitwong

[blabla1]

Hmmmm, gonna be a lot of Thai massages going round soon...lol....

[MaxLee]

In the mean time, clueless farang across Thailand, have to go in and out of the country and run their a$$e$ off for visa, after visa after visa after visa after work permit after tourism transit visa, non immigrant B visa, after business trillion kachillian multi million dollar visa every 60 days 100 times a year...

In short, in the mean time Thailand's government immigration MAFIA organization will do anything to suck the clueless foreigners dry off money, because Visa runs are one of Thailand's sources of bloody money income...

[theblether]

I remember taking my ex to Singapore and she said she would never look at Thailand the same way again. Maybe more Thais seeing Japan will wake them up as to how backward they are in so many regards. My Gawd, they'll even see trains that can go over 60mph!

[lowushatin]

for how long is the waiver?

[geriatrickid]

Whoa Nellie. When did the visa waiver take effect? According the government of Japan, there is only an intent.

(edit: Here is Japan Embassy url for source http://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/en/consular/visaindex.htm )

1. On June 11, Thai nationals traveling to Japan for a short-term period will be exempted from visas.

2. We hope that the exchanges between Japan and Thailand will further promoted by this visa relaxation.

3. This new measure will start within summer season (in coming months). The effective date of the implementation and the length of stay without visa will be announced soon. (For those who plan to visit Japan in the near future, please keep in mind of the starting date of this new measure. The Embassy of Japan will not return visa and service fees for all visas that have been issued before the effective date of implementation.)

What is "soon"? And as several media commentators have pointed out, the visa waiver means nothing. Many Thais were still refused entry into South Korea when the visa waiver was granted. Immigration can still deny entry based upon "looks" or lack of money. Japanese immigration can be very judgemental.

Edited June 13, 2013 by geriatrickid

[mickjn]

There are a lot of very rich Thais

[geriatrickid]

In the mean time, clueless farang across Thailand, have to go in and out of the country and run their a$$e$ off for visa, after visa after visa after visa after work permit after tourism transit visa, non immigrant B visa, after business trillion kachillian multi million dollar visa every 60 days 100 times a year...

In short, in the mean time Thailand's government immigration MAFIA organization will do anything to suck the clueless foreigners dry off money, because Visa runs are one of Thailand's sources of bloody money income...

The Japanese visa is intended for short term stays, which I think will be 30 days and less. As such, the Thai policy is really no more onerous.

[Pib]

I can just see it....the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will somehow make this a good news story for "Thai" tourism even though it only increases tourism in Japan. Maybe TAT will now be able to quote higher airport arrivals (unfortunately it will be returning Thai's).

[Hunter88]

"There are a lot of very rich Thais"

Yes, and they have never had any trouble getting a Japanese visa.This is for a short stay only. And, Japan can and will refuse entry to anyone they deem unfit.

[beammeup]

Whats with all the negitivity? I think its great, now I can take my wife to Japan for a weekend or week without the hassle of getting a visa.

[FarangTalk]

Until they apologise for atrocities committed during WWII, I will not be visiting Japan, nor taking my Thai spouse there.

[mickjn]

"There are a lot of very rich Thais"

Yes, and they have never had any trouble getting a Japanese visa.This is for a short stay only. And, Japan can and will refuse entry to anyone they deem unfit.

And so they should

[beammeup]

Well alrighty then. How about those Bruins eh

[HaleySabai]

Maybe more Thais seeing Japan will wake them up as to how backward they are in so many regards

..... that goes for almost every other country in the world....once you have been to Japan the rest of the world is retarded.

On the other hand many japanese seem to be migrating out, I didn't realize this until a japanese woman moved in next door and told me of the serious radiation problem near her home.She doesn't want to return and plans to make Thailand her new home,apparently there is a large community of like minded japanese living in ChiangMai.

[LuckyLew]

Thai tourism abroad might grow ..
but how does help Thai Tourism?

Surely Thai traveling within Thailand would be better for Thai tourism

Money spent at home id better then money spent in Japan

[weecree]

I couldnt care less about the visa issues, but i am excited that theres a direct flight to Sapporo. Might not miss snowboarding this season after all. Even if its just a week, so long as the flights are reasonably priced to encourage Thai people to use the service, ill be more than happy mucking about in niseko for 5 or 6 days again.

[Payboy]

Does this mean there will be specials at the onsens?

[KuhnPaen]

Must be a dearth of Japanese women who like to get peed on these days. I wonder how many Thai women will come back and sound like a bag of puppies being kicked when you have sex with them (I always have to watch my J-porn on mute). That damn squealing. eek eek eek eek eek!

[hawthorne]

I am glad to see Japan giving consideration. My wife and I expereince many inconveniences regarding visas as it seems she requires a visa in most non asian countries of which Japan has been excluded from other participating asian countries to date. Glad to see it happen and as Asia becomes stronger I hope to see more border openings. Hell it took us four tries to get my wife a visa to the US and we do not even live there, I am an American and neither has any reason to stay there nor wish.

[BradinAsia]

Until they apologise for atrocities committed during WWII, I will not be visiting Japan, nor taking my Thai spouse there.

Excuse me. Japanese government leaders have apologized umpteen times over the years.

Besides, the folks that committed these atrocities are dead long ago.

Or should we continue to lay the blame on the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Is that reasonable... or even civilized?

[Tomtomtom69]

Waiver for who in particular?

All Thai's ? I doubt it.

Yes, all Thais except those that are banned from entering Japan and those with criminal convictions (I would presume).

[LawrenceChee]

Until they apologise for atrocities committed during WWII, I will not be visiting Japan, nor taking my Thai spouse there.

Excuse me. Japanese government leaders have apologized umpteen times over the years.

Besides, the folks that committed these atrocities are dead long ago.

Or should we continue to lay the blame on the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Is that reasonable... or even civilized?

Agree with Brad ...good to see if any western countries will ever apologize for the same stuff they dumped on Asian countries in the years and some are still alive with the recent ones in SEA

[LawrenceChee]

Anyone that does not visit Japan for that reason is as backward as the Japanese had advanced

I love everything Japan from food, tech and their ladies ...

[Tomtomtom69]

Thai tourism abroad might grow ..

but how does help Thai Tourism?

Surely Thai traveling within Thailand would be better for Thai tourism

Money spent at home id better then money spent in Japan

No, Thais should travel abroad more often like their counterparts in the region do and this visa waiver is highly likely to facilitate this. I still can't understand why so few Thais travel abroad compared to say Chinese or Vietnamese. The Vietnamese are actually poorer than Thais (on average) and yet while they don't travel abroad in large numbers or anything, you will find a significantly larger proportion of Vietnamese traveling abroad, particularly to nearby countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia and China than Thais doing the same. The same can be said for ethnic Vietnamese traveling between the USA, Canada, France, Germany or Australia and Vietnam. There are always a ton of ethnic Vietnamese traveling between Vietnam and these western countries. By contrast, the number of Thais traveling to these countries is pitifully small by comparison and a large proportion of those that do are Thai women married/engaged/in relationships with men from these countries. In the case of ethnic Vietnamese, this is somewhat the case too but they are mostly married to other ethnic Vietnamese and live in these western countries instead.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thai tourism abroad might grow ..

but how does help Thai Tourism?

Surely Thai traveling within Thailand would be better for Thai tourism

Money spent at home id better then money spent in Japan

No, Thais should travel abroad more often like their counterparts in the region do and this visa waiver is highly likely to facilitate this. I still can't understand why so few Thais travel abroad compared to say Chinese or Vietnamese. The Vietnamese are actually poorer than Thais (on average) and yet while they don't travel abroad in large numbers or anything, you will find a significantly larger proportion of Vietnamese traveling abroad, particularly to nearby countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia and China than Thais doing the same. The same can be said for ethnic Vietnamese traveling between the USA, Canada, France, Germany or Australia and Vietnam. There are always a ton of ethnic Vietnamese traveling between Vietnam and these western countries. By contrast, the number of Thais traveling to these countries is pitifully small by comparison and a large proportion of those that do are Thai women married/engaged/in relationships with men from these countries. In the case of ethnic Vietnamese, this is somewhat the case too but they are mostly married to other ethnic Vietnamese and live in these western countries instead.

[Dork]

Until they apologise for atrocities committed during WWII, I will not be visiting Japan, nor taking my Thai spouse there.

Excuse me. Japanese government leaders have apologized umpteen times over the years.

Besides, the folks that committed these atrocities are dead long ago.

Or should we continue to lay the blame on the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Is that reasonable... or even civilized?

Agree with Brad ...good to see if any western countries will ever apologize for the same stuff they dumped on Asian countries in the years and some are still alive with the recent ones in SEA

Same stuff? Hmmm.... Can you give any examples?

[Tomtomtom69]

"There are a lot of very rich Thais"

Yes, and they have never had any trouble getting a Japanese visa.This is for a short stay only. And, Japan can and will refuse entry to anyone they deem unfit.

I could be way off, but I don't think even being rich automatically makes you qualify for a visa. I am sure that even "rich Thais" wouldn't all have necessarily easily been able to secure a visa and even if they did, it didn't mean that they were beyond scrutiny upon arriving in Japan. Being rich has nothing to do with it. Fortunately though, all Thais can now benefit and this is good news for Japanese tourism and will hopefully broaden Thai people's perspectives by facilitating more overseas travel.

[iancnx]

Until they apologise for atrocities committed during WWII, I will not be visiting Japan, nor taking my Thai spouse there.

Excuse me. Japanese government leaders have apologized umpteen times over the years.

Besides, the folks that committed these atrocities are dead long ago.

Or should we continue to lay the blame on the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?

Is that reasonable... or even civilized?

Agree with Brad ...good to see if any western countries will ever apologize for the same stuff they dumped on Asian countries in the years and some are still alive with the recent ones in SEA

Have to say that I have lived in Germany despite their atrocities in 2 world wars..... I have visited Rome and looking forwards to a trip to Mongolia...... lets not forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki ........Got look to the future and let the past go me thinks however difficult that might be......