Thailand plans to grant multiple-entry visas to tourists from all nations

[Psychic]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

400,000 ex-pats spending let's say 800,000 baht a year..3.2 billion baht. Big drop.

[Guest]

So they destroyed the Tourisem and long stay foriegner business ten years ago when they eliminated the 30 day visa runs and now they realize they are idiots and come back with this idea to save their stupid face..... I dont for one minute bielieve their numbers. They lie. Businesses are dieing faster han ever. And its mainly because of visa laws. Now instead of developing quality tourisem markets like Europe and the USA they open the gates. I think thats an insanly bad idea,,,,,

You identify a problem ... then rail against a solution.

Amazing Foreigners.

[Bernard Flint]

Duhh and i just had to jump all the hoops to get my multiple while i 'm married with a Thai. They even refused my application because the photograph i used was the same as last year.

So all these new quality tourists also don't have to show money on the bank?

So you are actualy telling the forum, that you produced the same photo that is already in your last application, sorry but i am laghing so hard.PHOTOS have to be withing 6 months of taking them hahahahahhahaha

[BKKSnowBird]

Waiting for more details on this. Like can one stay the whole 6 months without leaving? Can you leave and get another one after 6 months.

If yes to both, that will kill the Elite visa and what is left of the education visa. 10k a year to stay is a bargin and about the same as what Cambodia offers ( $300 for a 1 year).

[Monkeyrobot]

They are waking up and smelling the roses but wording it in a way that they don't loose face.

[captspectre]

Maybe they got tired of tourist spending their money in Cambodia? Cambodia even has a full moon party now!

quality tourist? do they mean the chinese who wash their feet and underwear in wash basins? do they mean the tourist that defecate when and where ever they want? do they mean the russian mafia who prey on people in pattaya? do they mean the sex perverts who prowl soi cowboy and sukhumvit four looking for young boys?do they mean the nigerians who scam unsuspecting thai's out of their baht?

ALL the above tourist are welcomed in without cost on a daily basis!

[BuckBee]

sounds reasonably useless messy idea to me from article details, for most people getting a double or triple tourist in advance or once here from nearby consulate is fine & cheaper & cover same time in Thailand.

Would be far better reducing age of retirement visa & introducing a visa class for those with condos here who may want spend time & money in the country. online visa system like cambodia would be a real idea too .

[Guest]

A step in the right direction!

Are you all familiar with that expression?

if I were the Thai team trying to create a more positive tourist and Foreigner environment, where would I go to get instant feedback?

Thai Visa.

And what would I see?

Negative, cynical and counter productive comments .. including a "Dash of Bash"

My conclusion would be, "Nothing can make these people happy, even when we move in the direction they claim they want, they cry like a school girl who fell off her bike."

Never mind ... let's work on something else .. noting makes these whiners smile. EVER.

Suggestion: How about .. just for a change .. some POSITIVE FEEDBACK for them to read?

[smedly]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

400,000 ex-pats spending let's say 800,000 baht a year..3.2 billion baht. Big drop.

mate some people have absolutely no clue what they are talking about, some industrial expert a few posts up talking about car exports on this thread - sounded like it came from a 9 year old, the mind boggles, and for the record although off topic - Thailand's cheap labour makes Toyota cars for Toyota

Edited August 6, 2015 by smedly

[technologybytes]

This article is very confusing. Currently a tourist visa is 1000 baht per entry, 5000 baht for 6 months visa is much more expensive, especially as a triple entry tourist visa (admittedly not issued in some consulates) costs only 3,000 baht and is good for 9 months or more with extensions.

They must mean VOA, which is currently unavailable to British, American, Australian, Canadian, German or Scandinavian tourists... i.e. its not available to most of us.

[Brickbat]

Dumb soldiers who shoot first , then plan to ask questions. I personally know a few blokes who are spending their pensions in the Phillipines after the recent difficulty to obtain their regular 3 months visa . When it used to be dead easy before. Even student visas have been made more difficult. Every business person I know over here is complaining about a huge drop in their business. So lots of bs propaganda and pie in the sky ideas.

And with a global recession looming, it's going to get worse. This baht is way too high, except against the USD. It's rigged.

[Weblo]

I am a Canadian that spends 3-4 months of my winter in Thailand cambodia and Laos.

I get a proper multi entry visa from the thai embassy in Canada before I leave. So not to do border runs.

I love the idea. Although it is vague at the moment.

And now with our dollar losing 35 percent against the US dollar, my time in cambodia will be less.

So for myself, I love the idea.

[Tatsujin]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

[jimstar1]

I do not understand this I get a 6 month double entry visa now it costs Me $100 which is 2500 Baht

With this new one its the same but costs me Twice as Much

[Garry]

Why would they need to do this when just the other day TAT,

reported a massive increase in tourists,

regards Worgeordie

Exactly: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/846128-thailand-tourist-arrivals-in-july-up-nearly-40-pct-on-year/?utm_source=newsletter-20150806-0741&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[Suradit69]

Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Whenever there's a discussion of how much per month you need to live in Thailand, there's always a competition amongst those living out in the "grass roots" to outdo one another with claims of how little they spend each month. And how often do we hear from "big spenders" who complain that 7-Eleven rounds up their utility bills to the nearest 25 satang. And of course there are those who moan that the Baht 40,000 or Baht 65,000 a month requirements for marriage or retirement extensions is WAY too high.

Just because someone stays here 12 months a year doesn't mean he/she is contributing more to the economy and employment than a succession of short stay tourists. I would guess that a fair number of those who misuse visa exempt entries or tourist visas to stay here long term do so because they haven't the money to meet even the low minimums for a long-stay extension.

[CapeThai]

This is the most productive move their made in years.....well done. Just hope it actually materialize as it will definitely boost the economy

[weegee]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Good post....Look after the REAL guests first!!!...we are here doing the right thing and would spend a lot more into the economy, in a year, than any 3 week tourist...

[lap82]

Would be good for me, as a tourist. Then , you could also visit some places in the neighbourhood and return to take your flight back home in Thailand.

[Muhendis]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

I agree that residential visitors (that's people like us) who live in rural communities certainly do bolster the local economies to a certain extent and I also agree that holiday tourists are only here for a very short time. I don't think its right to take the view that Chinese tourists money (when they spend it) only benefits a select few. The hotels, tourist attractions and souvenir shops etc. all have to pay taxes which are used to benefit the country as a whole.

[dageurreotype]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Sorry to dash any hope of being accepted here, but many Thais echo the government, all of them, in spouting we whities 'have ruined Thai culture'. I hear this from my Thai neighbour and, unsurprisingly, given the intelligence quotient from more than a few the of long term stayers (there are no 'expats' here, no matter how you delude yourselves).

Remember that this is an uber nationalist country, kept so for the benefit of the big bosses.

[shaurene]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Thailand ministers make so many new rules and then say to them selves, Oh Shit, never thought about than.

They should seriously think about the old saying in the West. "PUT YOUR BRAIN INTO OPERATION BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH"

charging 5,000 bt, they should do the visa thing free not look at how much money they will make out of it. They want the tourists so make it benefit the tourists as well as the country.

[davidst01]

So a year after forcing thousands of expats out of Thailand - expats who did border runs but who still no doubt spent lots of money in Thailand, they come back with this.

its exactly what I was thinking. What a joke.

[priestly]

This is great news for tourists from non-favored nations. Now, I may have a chance to bring in my GF from such a nation.....we wanted to continue our life in my home, Chiang Mai, but she was not welcome after 60 days, then the additional 30.

And those 60 days were only granted after a 5-week wait for a Thai tourist visa in Penang.

I LOVE THE KING.

[Tatsujin]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Sorry to dash any hope of being accepted here, but many Thais echo the government, all of them, in spouting we whities 'have ruined Thai culture'. I hear this from my Thai neighbour and, unsurprisingly, given the intelligence quotient from more than a few the of long term stayers (there are no 'expats' here, no matter how you delude yourselves).

Remember that this is an uber nationalist country, kept so for the benefit of the big bosses.

No hopes being dashed here, I've lived here long enough to know the score.

From the more intelligent Thai's I've spoken to about this "long-term expat" situation, I've had a different response to yours. They're gobsmacked that a foreigner married to a Thai, with Thai children, cannot live here without having to yearly renew their term of stay. They say that's just plain "wrong" as that foreigner is supporting not just the immediate family, but the extended family too in a lot of cases.

Having said that, I don't expect them to make any fuss to try and get things changed.

[BoristheBlade]

At last, a sensible idea, just make sure it goes into action.

[Wadan]

Does this apply to ISIL state as well?

[affen02]

From year to year it's always nervewreking to see what this guys comes up with of new visa ideas, working a few months for then to be scrapped and never to he heard of again. At Kap Choeng Immigration Surin, as of reasently, when u apply for extension 1 yr retirement or marriage, they stamp you 1 one month " under cnsideration" as they call it, then u have to come back for a yes or no. One should think that after many yrs living in this country using the same papers for extension every year, they would know a bit about you. I guess not. They sure know how to make a family nervous, do we have to pack up and leave next month or not. No explanation for this new rule, exept a finger pointing upwards maybe to Buddha or more likely to a thai-chineese MI 6 type.

[ColdSingha]

I seriously doubt a 6 month multi entry tourist visa is going to help. Most genuine tourists have a set time here & certainly do not plan to go in & out of the country over a period of 6 months. There is so much they could do with changing visa rules, especially long term ones for people who live here, support families & spend money all year round. Money which feeds into the grass roots economy, unlike all the Chinese tourists who's money only benefits a select few.

Long term expats are a drop in the ocean, both in numbers and economically, so I would not expect anything this government to do would benefit us. This is all about increasing tourist dollars, regardless of who benefits from those dollars.

I've seen figures of anywhere between 50,000 to 250,000+ long-term expats settled here ... a large proportion of whom support extended Thai families, whose money comes from overseas, and who spend considerable amounts of money here that goes DIRECTLY to the local economy, not to the tour guides or approved places they stop at that currently happen with Russian and Chinese tourists.

The others here long term are running businesses here and paying very large amounts of tax (compared to Thai's) ... so these also contribute heavily to the economy overall.

It would be nice if they came up with a visa or way to stay long-term here in these situations without jumping through the yearly/monthly multiple hoops required, just to stay and live here with their own wife and children in a lot of instances.

Sorry to dash any hope of being accepted here, but many Thais echo the government, all of them, in spouting we whities 'have ruined Thai culture'. I hear this from my Thai neighbour and, unsurprisingly, given the intelligence quotient from more than a few the of long term stayers (there are no 'expats' here, no matter how you delude yourselves).

Remember that this is an uber nationalist country, kept so for the benefit of the big bosses.

there are expats here that have permanent residency

[weegee]

Seems like they are getting around to straightening out some immigration concerns...be it tourist or whatever.

Can you imagine "Happy Expats" with a NON O and no hoops to jump through each Year/90 days....but only every 5 yrs..

I reckon TVF would be a different forum to read....Happiness and contentment, rather than uncertainty or whether you are safe to live here and spend your money.

That would do more for tourism and the country, than reading the bad press everywhere, AND we would be then telling everyone we know that Thailand is great, so come for a visit....I.E. free advertising for the tourist industry...