More than 100,000 foreigners staying illegally in Thailand

[zaZa9]

Quality tourists? What demographic group do they come from?

I understand the need to cover health costs to tourists/non-immigrants, I can understand the need for increased revenue to provide other services.

I see no problem in increasing the departure tax, which is included in airline tickets.

If there is a need to have a fee of 500 Baht at the border, I see no problem in that either. With the exception of Malaysia, most bordering and neighboring countries charge for visas.

How many other countries have free visa on arrival?

How many countries have visa application fees that are not refundable if the visa is refused.

If you can't afford to live in Thailand, maybe it's time you moved to Cambodia?

Agree.

Bali has a 750 baht ($25 US) fee on arrival , and a $15 ( 500 baht) Departure Tax.

The Thai proposal is nothing new - in fact I believe my country ( Aus ) has the dubious distinction of being a ground breaker many years ago with a $20 Departure Tax.

[Jawnie]

Christ...the US wishes it could get some fines from all the illegals there. 100,000 is piss in a pot compared to the US.

[Maseratimartin]

Greedy little bastards!

500bath will attract quality tourists? ...your shitting me!

You want quality, then first look at your conditions! Quality my ass!

....ahhh, such stupidity gets me....

[newermonkey]

So the 500 Baht fee will deter those illegal foreign property developers (Money launderers) driving around in their Lambo's and Bentley's then?

It will on the other hand encourage families who have been saving up for years for the "dream holiday" and will now have to save even more so they can be ripped off?

Bullshit

[robblok]

Quality tourists? What demographic group do they come from?

I understand the need to cover health costs to tourists/non-immigrants, I can understand the need for increased revenue to provide other services.

I see no problem in increasing the departure tax, which is included in airline tickets.

If there is a need to have a fee of 500 Baht at the border, I see no problem in that either. With the exception of Malaysia, most bordering and neighboring countries charge for visas.

How many other countries have free visa on arrival?

How many countries have visa application fees that are not refundable if the visa is refused.

If you can't afford to live in Thailand, maybe it's time you moved to Cambodia?

Agree.

Bali has a 750 baht ($25 US) fee on arrival , and a $15 ( 500 baht) Departure Tax.

The Thai proposal is nothing new - in fact I believe my country ( Aus ) has the dubious distinction of being a ground breaker many years ago with a $20 Departure Tax.

Thailand already has a departure tax it is just included in the tickets.. years ago it was 500bt not sure how much it is now. I have no problems with the tax but don't come up with BS reasons for it.

[UncleJ]

Only 100,000 ?

That seems small if we are talking about Cambodians, Lao, Burmese etc.

[willyumiii]

Seem to recall there was an airport departure tax in Thailand around 10 years ago ?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

There still is!

When departing a few years ago I asked where I pay the departure tax at the new airport.

I was told that it was now included in the price of your ticket and had already been paid.

[Cloggie]

I agree, overstay of more than 90 days - banned for life from Thailand (family or no family here!)

What is the problem with that?

[Estrada]

Quality tourists? What demographic group do they come from?

I understand the need to cover health costs to tourists/non-immigrants, I can understand the need for increased revenue to provide other services.

I see no problem in increasing the departure tax, which is included in airline tickets.

If there is a need to have a fee of 500 Baht at the border, I see no problem in that either. With the exception of Malaysia, most bordering and neighboring countries charge for visas.

How many other countries have free visa on arrival?

How many countries have visa application fees that are not refundable if the visa is refused.

If you can't afford to live in Thailand, maybe it's time you moved to Cambodia?

Agree.

Bali has a 750 baht ($25 US) fee on arrival , and a $15 ( 500 baht) Departure Tax.

The Thai proposal is nothing new - in fact I believe my country ( Aus ) has the dubious distinction of being a ground breaker many years ago with a $20 Departure Tax.

Thailand already has a departure tax it is just included in the tickets.. years ago it was 500bt not sure how much it is now. I have no problems with the tax but don't come up with BS reasons for it.

As I was raised to B700 and included in the tickets due to the corruption that was rife with the old system of collecting cash on departure.

They should include the new tax in the ticket price, however they are unlikely to do this as they would no longer have an "incentive".

Edited October 22, 2013 by Estrada

[uptheos]

What's a quality tourist?

[Alwyn]

You gots to love the way problems are dealt with here. All of the Kingdom's challenges dealt with thus and other countries should take note;

Want your country to be the business hub of Asia? Easy. Change driving to the right hand side of the road

Want "quality" tourists in your country? Easy. Charge a 500 baht or equivalent fee (should that read "fine"?) and job done.

Want to change nature and prevent flooding? Even easier. Tell everybody the floods won't effect anybody this year!

Want to stop prositution? Simply say that prostitution doesn't exist (because it's illegal!)

I think this is why I love living here!

Edited October 22, 2013 by Alwyn

[OnTheRun]

Has anyone in the Thai Govt department of silly thoughts done a study to see how many of these 100K are involved in the foreigners buying up (illegally) 30% of the land / property in Thailand?

[Suradit69]

Just wonder where did they get those figures .. 100,000 foreigners illegal ... and how many illegals in European countries ? in the US ? this 500 baht will only be used to fill up some pockets of greedy politicians ... they call is government funding !

"...this 500 baht will only be used to fill up some pockets of greedy politicians ..."

Well, it also has the added attraction of getting the moaners' knickers in a knot on TV. Think of it as an entertainment tax.

All the numbers presented by these twits are random figures they dream up to make a case for their next 'innovative' idea about how to extract more cash from visitors to this country.

They not looking for "quality" tourists by adding a another charge on top of visa fees. They are looking for STUPID tourists.

They've certainly been successful in that regard. The country is awash with them, including the "tourists" and "students" who stay here year after year continuously.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Suradit69

[xpathuahin]

Thai Government want more money from the tourist apart from the already hidden airport departure tax included if your flight ticket they now want another 500 THB fee to fund a scheme to help attract ‘quality’ tourists to Thailand. So everybody coming to Thailand now has to pay an extra cost of 1,000 THB just for the privilege of being aloud into Thailand. But now you can only come in if you are a quality tourist.

[sms747]

in fact I believe my country ( Aus ) has the dubious distinction of being a ground breaker many years ago with a $20 Departure Tax.

That's great value, I'd pay a lot me to leave Australia

[stopthegreed]

As well as boosting government funding, the money raised from the scheme will contribute to new measures that will ensure foreign visitors who enter Thailand will be unable to outstay their visa

That is nothing more than a smokescreen for the people who will line thier pockets.

Never mind tourism, if the figures are correct, why cant it go to the genuine needy people, like setting up a pension system, and if does go to hospitals to help the poor, I for one, am in all favour of it.

[sms747]

If the departure tax is including in tickets then Thais must pay it as well as Ticket prices are the same as for anyone else, then they should charge Thais 500 to get back in as well.

[gopis108]

I believe that if the Imm.Dept.would stop treating those of we Farangs who want to stay here longer than a month like prisoners of war and if they would just establish some sane visa system very few people would overstay.Even if we had to pay something more -who cares-why do we have to go through this non-sense of checking in every 90 days so they can fleece us,every little thing becomes an obstacle in the process so that the opportunities for fleecing are increased.Why are they so nasty and envious,we are helping their country-we are not prisoners of war that they can shout and demean us just to satify their inferiority complexes.Why dont we PRs have a Farang council to combat this non-sense.and a newsletter.???.America has the ten year visa-no checking in-Canada and UK have the 6 month visa-no checking.Paying for a re-entry visa is another scam to line their pockets at our expense.Please introduce some fair and simple measures you Thai Authorities and you wont hav e any problems from us,the ones you have are self imposed.

[richard10365]

This policy sounds very anti-ASEAN. I wonder how ASEAN feels about this?

[looping]

Quality tourist = someone who can bar fine EVERY night of the week!

Seriously though, seeing as the govt are so keen on amnesties, why not have one for overstayers.

Run it for a month with a standard fine, a slap the wrist and a final chance to keep up the visa stamps.

Or they could get real and provide visas for those people living in Issan, etc who are supporting the hordes of Thai women who've decided to 'go farang'.

These people are supporting the economy more than the Thai govt would like to admit, through teaching, farming, etc, it would be nice if they had more options for visas, rather than being treated like (and probably feeling like) criminals.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[drdoom6996]

500 baht per tourist,

Lets see all the greedy little piggy's sniffing out their share, so much for stopping corruption.

If the police and immigration did their job maybe the number of illegal overstays would be lower

It ain't corruption if it's the law. Soon there may be a law for all foreigners renting/owning motorbikes to stop by the local cop shop and drop off 400 baht a day.

[mancub]

Laugh ...under their logic then, anyone entering for less than 3 days will pay less than 500baht , and consequently cannot be considered as a Quality tourist .

[Ajaan]

Seem to recall there was an airport departure tax in Thailand around 10 years ago ?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

There still is. When we used to pay cash, it was 500 baht. Now it's 750 baht and it's automatically included in the price of your plane ticket when you leave Thailand.

[Businessman]

John Smith saves 2,500 usd for his vacation.

Now: Flight 1,500, remainder 1,000 discretionary spending money.

Then: Flight 1,500 + fee 20 usd, remainder 980 USD discretionary spending money.

In effect the government is simply redirecting money that would normally enter the economy via touristic spending into tax/fee revenue. Do they really think Mr. John Smith is going to add this $20 to his travel budget?

Most folks I know work from a set budget.

You can't spend the same money twice.

So once again the people's government is taking money from the people and adding it to state coffers. The only ones being fooled are the people when the government announces how much it has collected from foreigners. When in reality its being siphoned out if the tourism economy.

In as far as paying for tourist medical expenses, preventing overstays or attracting a "better quality" tourist I would question if any of these objectives would be met by this proposal.

I am not against charging 500 thb for an entry stamp. But pla-leeees stop with the feeble excuses!

[freedom4life]

Why should I pay anything when I come in to see my wife and home,especially when I work in a neighboring country? It's not going to happen and even if I have to show marriage-papers and argue with immigration right on the spot.Tourists coming-in and spending money is not enough? Now you want to exhort more money from foreigners and say it is the law and legal? Corruption is dripping from every aspect of this country.

[jeff2258]

Greedy little bastards!

500bath will attract quality tourists? ...your shitting me!

You want quality, then first look at your conditions! Quality my ass!

....ahhh, such stupidity gets me....

conditions said that there is no quality and you want quality, then pay for it. I don't see how the fee of 500baht can be so much of a different for the tourist who wants a good holiday. Do you notice road needs to be clean, rubbish needs to be taken away, public toilets needs to be clean and etc... who is paying for it? If you can't afford the 500 baht then stay home and don't go anywhere.

[reggaebkk]

This 500B racket is a scandal, in another hand I can understand the Thai government (or corrupt officials?) if they want to cash in on the visa run crowd. Visa running is tolerated and it's a big business already, but it seems that there's more to squeeze there. It's their country after all, if we don't like it, we can take our invested or saved travel money and go spend it somewhere else. There are many other nice countries in the world, many just next door. It's up to us to move on if we don't like the way the country takes. I'm myself planning to go to Cambodia, I'm tired to be milked

[jackandjim]

Excellent!

500THB would clearly sort out the "Quality" tourists from those em who only have 275thb?

That would be 2 extra LEO's in soi 6 to assist with the thai economy and flood prevention...

three leos .

[jackandjim]

how about i ust pay 20000 baht upfront then let me stay forever.

[nami]

"poses genuine and significant problems for the authorities"

I wonder how? I could understand that statement coming from western countries, as they do provide food, medical assistance etc to illegal migrants. However, coming from Thailand? The only problem for the authorities is to put those people in jail,that is their work actually.