Thai Foreign Ministry asked to rethink free visa fee decision

[londonthai]

"exempt visa fees for tourists and travelers" Those staying on long-term visas are not included in this free scheme and, if the OP is correct, nor are Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish People.

"The 17 countries are Australia, England, the United States, Germany, France, Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland,Norway, Israel, United Arab Emitrates, Spain and New Zealand."

And amazing no Russians?

Russian are more penny pinching than the countries named. He's only targeting ones who he thinks can pay a lot !

no, russians have a reciprocal agreement with thailand - thai can go to russia without visa for some 3 years now

[robblok]

I await the howls of derision....

Great get tougher.. but at the same time let us own land too and make it as easy to get a pr here as in Europe.

Reality its harder to get into Europe.. but if you tick the boxes you can work and own land.

[steven100]

Yes, it is true, it is far more difficult for thais to enter europe, then it is for europeans to enter thailand.

Now, why would that be?

If 1000 europeans enter thailand with no hassles, 999 will return before their visas expire, 1 will stay on illegally for working / whoring / or whatever.

If 1000 thais enter europe with no hassles, how many will return before their visas expire?

Please Samran, answer that one.

998 ?

Sent from my TR736 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[sfbandung]

Being from the States, Thais have to go through hell to get a visa or even try to get a visa, so I have mixed emotions on this issue.

I'm Australian, and they are the same.

[NangrongJ]

England isn't a country! The UK is.

[mogo51]

Yes it is a rather stupid rule and does not help Thailand when they are in the middle of a political revolt and swamped with 'no go' status at many countries.

However, as an Aussie, I am ashamed as to how we treat Thais, Filipinos, etc when wishing to come to our country. Yes, the suggestion that some go missing is true, but what about all the overstays by farangs, same same!!!! We need to look at this in a fair way, I can see the Thai point about equal treatment.

However, on a totally different issue, what about so called free trade agreements Thailand has with countries such as Australia, they get their cars in here and ruin our car industry, pay 5% tariff on their cars. Try buying a bottle of Aussie wine or a jar of Vegemite, priced double it is in Australia, eg. Jacobs Creek wine, worth maximum $8=10 here, $20 in 7/11 that sure is fair trade????

[razer]

I think the 90 day check in should be reciprocal too for all Thais living in another country.

[goldmonky]

they are trying to reduce the number of tourist even further??

[fareastguy]

Perhaps Thai immigration would like to drop the "90 day" rule.. as that's not reciprocal with what happens in my home country.

After 5 years of reporting that I still live at the same address & haven't been out of the country is getting a bit monotonous!!

[louse1953]

The difference is that the foreign countries system is clearly documented and transparent to a large extent to the majority of applicants. The Thai system is littered with hoops and stumbling blocks and generally dependant on the mood and whim of immigration officer or official you deal with each time.

Rubbish.A Thai visa applied for in Oz is 1 page,done on the spot and come back in a couple of hours.An Australian visa is many pages of duplication,maybe a visit to a hospital for xrays and come back in 5 working days.Just apoint on those xrays for TB,up to 3 months,no xray.Longer than that tourists must have an xray.My point is you either got TB or you haven't,what difference does more time make.Too many xrays can be harmful.

[Fullstop]

"Tourism already suffering from demonstrations... Let's put another nail in the coffin." Didn't they have free 60 Day Tourist visas a while ago .... to boost tourism? Didn't work? Do the opposite?

Thai logic ... my brain hurts.

[Briandajew]

I at least appreciate the logic behind the idea, it should be reiprocal if everything was equal, which it is not.

Then again, isn't it about time that the UK maybe started making sure any Thais that are married to UK nationals has around 60,000 quid in their "personal" bank account and that it is there 2 months before their FOREVER recurring 1 year extension to remain stamp is due? As this is about the UK equivalent based on average wages compared to what a roreigner needs to show in Thailand. That seems pretty reciprocal to me!

[goldmonky]

England isn't a country! The UK is.

but for how long???

[Frank James]

I do not get this. The US charges 3000B ??? Isn't the visa time longer? I think six months? The visa here is only 2 months!

US charges $140 (4480 baht). Tourist visa good for ten years, multiple entries. Difficult application process. Possible big hassles with CBP thugs when you arrive. Welcome to the National Security State, Keeping You Safe.

[punisher]

Yes, it is true, it is far more difficult for thais to enter europe, then it is for europeans to enter thailand.

Now, why would that be?

If 1000 europeans enter thailand with no hassles, 999 will return before their visas expire, 1 will stay on illegally for working / whoring / or whatever.

If 1000 thais enter europe with no hassles, how many will return before their visas expire?

Please Samran, answer that one.

All the Thais I know who go there now return before their visa expires.

I would guess the number would be less than the amount of UK overstayers, overstaying their Thai visas.

Yeah right,ask Japan what they think about thais traveling visa free to Japan

[Benmart]

The difference is that the foreign countries system is clearly documented and transparent to a large extent to the majority of applicants. The Thai system is littered with hoops and stumbling blocks and generally dependant on the mood and whim of immigration officer or official you deal with each time.

Well I'm not sure. My Thai wife applied for a visa for the Netherlands, I could not take my wife but with help and invitation letter of my sister the visa was granted for 31 days. We planned to stay 30 days.

After arrival she has to report in nearest police station, so we went. No, sorry rules are changed, you have to report at Immigration Police nearest is 25 km away or by internet.

I choose the internet option. Recieved an e-mail thanks for report but she has to come in person to report at Immigration Police. Okay we went,, then Immigration Police told Us she has to come with the person who invited here into the country.

I showed the e-mail and ask the officer where this was written down. Reply from officer: You violate your visa and have to leave county. I replied nicely: We are married in Thailand, also registered in Netherlands, my sister invited her because I'm working in Thailand and can not show an income from the Netherlands. My sister is working and living 130 KM away as we stay with my parents. Is there no other solution? Her colleague took my papers asked Us to wait and 5 minutes later he called Us and all was well. The first officer was still complaining about Us but he just ignored here moaning s and wished Us a good stay.

clear rules, but also depending on the mood of the officer.

Living now 10 years in Thailand and never had that much problems with Immigration officers in Thailand.

Good post. It should demonstrate that all is not transparent and orderly our countries of origin. As I see it, the common thing all countries have are that it's peoples are good/bad, helpful/indifferent, giving/greedy, tolerant/hateful and so on.

The posters that paint everything in black and white are sometimes opaque in their thinking.

Pax Nobiscum

[LeeThayer]

Or how do we get the last buck out of these tourists ...... They can also start to think about an exit fee !!!

There is an exit fee, was 700 baht at the airport before immigration departure, now that is in the ticket fee

[Suradit69]

I await the howls of derision....

Yes, all you need to do is mention fees & Immigrations here at TV and it's like waving a bunch of bananas at a cage full of hungry monkeys.

"Tourism already suffering from demonstrations... Let's put another nail in the coffin." Didn't they have free 60 Day Tourist visas a while ago .... to boost tourism? Didn't work? Do the opposite?

Thai logic ... my brain hurts.

" Let's put another nail in the coffin"

Been hearing about nails in the coffin of Thai tourism as long as there have been barstools from which to pontificate here and yet, with a bit of up and down from time to time, tourism keeps growing like gangbusters.

If coups, tsunamis, floods and everything else hasn't stemmed the tide, charging a few baht for a visa isn't likely to do much, but I think I can see why your brain hurts.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Suradit69

[duanebigsby]

The simple answer is waiving visit visas boosts tourism. If people have to apply for a visa, and pay for it to visit then they will think twice about visiting, and most likely will go somewhere easier to visit for a holiday.

Thus, if they make visas for holiday visitors difficult, less tourists will come.

Think of me of a brit: if I have have to go to the Thai embassy to get a visa for a holiday, and take half a day to go and get it off work, I might think, nah, I will go to the Carribean instead.

If it were implemented that way. It'll probably be like Laos where you pay as you enter. I don't think Laos charging for the visa is holding their tourism back at all.

[Benmart]

One of the reasons I stopped going to China ..sick of the visa dance in BKK, looks like Thailand will be next off my list...what an idiotic Country this place is ...the land of Fee Hub

Free choice is a wonderful thing. To bad there is no Thai extra fee for unhappy folks. They would have a large surplus to mishandle.

[TPI]

A first class idea, the USA charges what the country applied for charges...long term visa holders pay what's fair, what's the problem???

[planetoftheapes]

Well if this is a tit for tat petty childish Lord Of The Flies type scramble for a good excuse to make more revenue it's pretty obvious it has nothing to do with what the 17 are charging that's utter nonsense. They want more money. Enough is never enough here is it.

Thailand is the only country you buy a year visa and you need to leave so many times to another country and come back in to make it to the end of the visa? Thais don't have to do that they also can have a hope of settling in those 17 countries and buying land and obtaining a passport and citizenship male or female regardless if they do desire so and WE DO NOT HAVE A SNOW FLAKES CHANCE IN HELL of having the same deal. NEVER EVER NOWAY.

Is there no end to these greedy petty childish spitefulness against foreigners. What absolute nonsense this is I think someone will throw this idea out.

If we were childish like them and started playing TIT for TAT no Thai National would live and be working abroad and none would have residence visas in the 17 which they do.

There are whole communities of the in Australia and the US for starters and their host country does not make any Thai national do visa runs or reports and pay again and again for visa charges.

[snip]

Edited December 19, 2013 by george
Insult to immigration removed./admin

[Just1Voice]

They want "Reciprocity"? How about letting expats of the 17 countries actually OWN their own property, like houses and land for our families!

[happysanook]

Extend it to 2 or 3 months and I'll happily pay it. Assuming it's an on-entry type deal.

[punisher]

Or how do we get the last buck out of these tourists ...... They can also start to think about an exit fee !!!

Its not often the Thais are ''fair''.

So get the Falang to jump through the same hoops as the Thais have to, too vist the UK, and charge the same.

Or are ''we'' the chosen race not them?

How many UK,USA or German citizens overstay their visa in Thailand and start working in restaurants,brothels or karaoke shops,send 1000Euro or dollar home or totally disappear?Japan just got visa free for Thais,but a few months later Japan is thinking to change that back,I wonder why?

[ttthailand]

All Thais owning a business ( including restaurants) in the 17 listed countries have 7 days to hand over 51% of there business to local owners or shut down until they can do so. Must also have 6 local persons listed on the company documents.

Thais can no longer own land

Fair is fair )))

[sunray69]

I really love the comparison for the fee charged to Thai nationals to get a EU Visa... Let him increase the rate of the visa... I just hope the rate of Thai National "suicides" will not raise in EU as much as in Thailand for foreigners.

[harrycallahan]

Do it.

And even more importantly, do it for permanent immigration too. We can't become Thai nationals; you can't become Australian nationals.

I've wanted that for a long time.

[Dogbarker]

Is that in addition to a proposed health insurance fee for freeloading tourists ?

[upena]

TAT will tell us that it will have no impact on tourism.