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

[Bangkok Barry]

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?

The marriage visa costs 5000 baht for one year. The tourist visa will cost 5000 baht for six months. You choose. I don't know why you mention showing money in the bank. I don't need to, for a marriage O visa.

[thesetat2013]

Nice and vague......... could be promising but won't get to excited

Also they quote trying to get 2.2 bn in revenue but that is the same amount they tried to get last year and this year as well. Seems to me there is no growth in the tourism revenue even if they have growth in the amount of tourists. This must be their idea of quality tourists.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

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).

Yes, those kinds of questions.

And also, will the local SE Asia Thai Consulates join in offering these to any foreigners, or are they going to try to enforce a rule where they'll only issue them in a tourist's home country consulate?

[Dassie]

Wow! A double back flip with a twist? Lol...no its good to see a sensible move on this at last. Fingers crossed that it turns out to be all we hope for.

[kiwikeith]

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.

Another step forward to completely making Thailand 100% chinese.

[springheeled jack]

a big step forward but i think 5 thousand is a bit on the top side and i think this 5 year visa should also be applied to long term expats .

[springheeled jack]

a big step forward but i think 5 thousand is a bit on the top side and i think this 5 year visa should also be applied to long term expats .

[Christie Paul]

Immigration rules and regulations have done immeasurable economic harm to this country.

[carstenp]

Is this panic, before closing

[The Deerhunter]

comment cancelled

Edited August 6, 2015 by The Deerhunter

[pinkpanther99]

The same story in the Bangkok daily says that the tourism minister is pushing cabinet to approve a 12 month multiple entry visa!

[silent]

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?

I guess it's cause if they don't use the same picture as the year before claiming it's recent, there's no need for proving they at least have more money than brains.

[hugh2121]

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.

This will be a big help to retired ex pats who do not quite meet the financial requirements of a visa for retirement.

[ldnguy]

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 have met allot of tourists that travel all around Laos, Cambodia, Burma etc over a period of 2-3 months. So I agree the 6 month is not a big deal but the multi entry is good.

Who this will help are the guys that are under 50, not working and not married.

As for your statement of guys living here and supporting families there is already a visa for this a NON-O. I lived and worked in Thailand for almost 20 years and never had an issue with a visa. However I worked so always had a visa and work permit. The people that have a problem are the ones working in Thailand illegally or under 50 not married to a Thai or have a Thai child and not working living off of investments.

It will also help people over 50 and people that are married. Both of these groups travel.

[sammygood]

why don't they charge everybody 5000 baht on arrival ? you can stay 6 month, but you don't have too ... as most are here for 30 days max ...

now 28.000.000 x 5.000 =

140,000,000,000

[ldnguy]

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.

I think the same rules will apply. It you're considered to be working in Thailand you may still get kicked out. You also will have to apply for this from another country, so you'll still have to leave. In any case, I don't know any expats that were forced out of Thailand. And certainly thousands were not forced out. Can you explain where exactly they were forced out from? I've never seen any mention of thousand being forced out.

[Wadan]

This is a positive development. They just have to make sure, they don't allow terrorists to use this as an easy means to enter the Kingdom. Every country now is watching their borders closely, and Thailand should be doing the same.

[ldnguy]

No real help to those that already get visa-free entry because most just don't need a 6-month visa. 5,000 would be expensive to most broke backpackers anyway.

[jobwolf]

Stupidity as usual, for the same money I can get a one year multiple entry visa in Europe.

[bamukloy]

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!

so how do you propose they identify the undesirables? They dont actually walk through the airport with signs on their heads saying paedo, pervert etc

[Fullstop]

Standby for the "Clarification"

[sitti]

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.

If they had put effort in getting proper Visa instead of complaining, they wouldn't have to border runs.

[seancbk]

Been thinking about this... 6 months multi entry at 5000 baht as opposed to......... a double entry tourist visa that cost about 2500 baht with the extension at immigration x2 2000 = 6500.

I take it with the new visa same any other multi after 3 months you will have to do your bounce still, so only different will be saving two trips to immigration to extending saved if you had a tourist visa and about 1500baht.......

So to me its just some repackaging of something already on offer, unless I'm missing something.... i might have

so not getting to excited about this till more details come out.

What I'm keen on is the multi entry aspect.

I'd love to be able to take trips to Macau and Hong Kong when I feel like it instead of when a visa entry expires. Sometime I've thrown away weeks worth of visa validity because I've needed to make a trip only a week after coming in on a visa entry.

[Bangkok Barry]

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).

Yes, those kinds of questions.

And also, will the local SE Asia Thai Consulates join in offering these to any foreigners, or are they going to try to enforce a rule where they'll only issue them in a tourist's home country consulate?

Probably be like always - each consulate or embassy will make up their own rules.

[Tomtomtom69]

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.

Actually it would - if you talk to many of the tourists coming to Thailand they are no longer just coming to see Thailand. With so many other countries in the region, they are simply using Thailand as a base for exploring the region. With it's excellent transport links and superior road infrastructure and flight schedules compared to most neighboring countries, Thailand is a natural base for transiting the rest of the region. Someone might land in Bangkok, head to Siem Reap 3 days later, do Cambodia, then head over to Nam, cross into Laos, back to Thailand, spend a month or so here, then Myanmar, then Thailand again, then Malaysia. Although it is possible to do that now using a visa waiver, first of all, some nationals only get 15 days visa free which may not be enough and secondly, there is less scrutiny applied to visitors in possession of valid visas (of any type) than visa free visitors so this visa will likely eliminate the whole visa run fiasco that started last year.

A multi-entry visa also helps retirees and other long-term tourists who might want to spend 3-6 months in the country (usually during their colder months back home) without having to apply for permits, visa extensions or even new visas altogether. It's also flexible in that they can still go to see say Angkor Wat, without going through the whole re-entry permit business, even if they're not difficult to apply for, but they can be a nuisance especially for older people not so well versed in these things and who prefer to lead a more streamlined, less stressful life, especially when they're on holiday.

[FredNL]

I already hear them say: Welcome, Welcome Africa, Welcome...

Would it stop the massive exodus to Europe ?

Edited August 6, 2015 by FredNL

[Asiantravel]

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

but as someone mentioned earlier it may no longer be necessary to extend the Visa twice after 60 days which is worth 1900 baht each time

[Asiantravel]

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.

Actually it would - if you talk to many of the tourists coming to Thailand they are no longer just coming to see Thailand. With so many other countries in the region, they are simply using Thailand as a base for exploring the region. With it's excellent transport links and superior road infrastructure and flight schedules compared to most neighboring countries, Thailand is a natural base for transiting the rest of the region. Someone might land in Bangkok, head to Siem Reap 3 days later, do Cambodia, then head over to Nam, cross into Laos, back to Thailand, spend a month or so here, then Myanmar, then Thailand again, then Malaysia. Although it is possible to do that now using a visa waiver, first of all, some nationals only get 15 days visa free which may not be enough and secondly, there is less scrutiny applied to visitors in possession of valid visas (of any type) than visa free visitors so this visa will likely eliminate the whole visa run fiasco that started last year.

A multi-entry visa also helps retirees and other long-term tourists who might want to spend 3-6 months in the country (usually during their colder months back home) without having to apply for permits, visa extensions or even new visas altogether. It's also flexible in that they can still go to see say Angkor Wat, without going through the whole re-entry permit business, even if they're not difficult to apply for, but they can be a nuisance especially for older people not so well versed in these things and who prefer to lead a more streamlined, less stressful life, especially when they're on holiday.

" without going through the whole re-entry permit business "

where did you read under this proposed new Visa that it will no longer be necessary to purchase a re-entry permit each time you leave the country?

[retarius]

I have to say, touch wood, that I have never had an issue with getting a visa here. I follow the rules and seem to have no problems.

[kannot]

"Thailand is shooting for 28 million foreign travellers this year".

Yes Im sure!!