METV Visa - Vientiane, Laos. It's official.

[jacksam]

This thread is about METV in thailand but in relation to cambodia the rules are administered in a fluid way. Will be prety easy to show a job at anytime. Just grease the wheels.

[MobileContent]

Really don't understand why some posters think that the requirements are so tough now.

A Thai that wishes to travel as a tourist to the Schengen countries faces much more obstacles before they get their 90 days Schengen visa.

* Proof of Employment

* Proof of Funds

* Proof or real hotel bookings

* Travel Insurance

* Some embassies such as the German want to even know if the the person owns land, proof of financial statements

* Letter of Employment

* Complete travel plans

* Name of mother, father, spouses and list of current childrens

and the list goes on and on.

If some farangs travel to Thailand on a METV they should proof that they have the funds to support themselves and have employment if they are below retirement age (pension claims).

If they do not have those funds, they do not qualify for such as a visa. The European economies are down the toilet in many countries and the last thing Thailand needs is getting more invasions from unemployed farangs that try to start a new life in Thailand but they might not have the means to support and survive in Thailand.

This is not about the Digital Nomads but about unemployed foreigners.

Thailand is a great country for finding employment but a large number of foreigners will end up on overstay because they thought it is easy to find a job in Thailand. What the current government has done is to replicate what Thais need for entering a Schengen country so if Thais are able to apply for a visa to Europe then Europeans should be too able to supply all those supporting documents and if a European tourist wants an METV but is not able to qualify, then he should find a new country to migrate but Thailand would be the wrong country.

Maybe Thailand will loose 30-40,000 long-term stayers but it just a very very small percent of all foreigners visiting Thailand.

Offshore workers have absolute no problem as their money is welcome in Thailand. Anyone that is unable to fly back to their country should go for a SETV until that door is closed once and for all. I wouldn't be surprised that after tomorrow (13 Nov) that visa application might be getting rejected because of to many tourist visas already in the applicants passport and over the next week a lot of people might post on TV that a SE visa was issued with a warning to fly home for the next visa.

[JackThompson]

"According to Lt. Gen. Leakna, visa renewals for long-term residents will also be affected. He said new arrivals to Cambodia can acquire a one-month business visa then apply for a one-year extension.

“But after one year, if you can’t find a job, you have to go out of Cambodia and cannot extend more,” he said."

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-to-strictly-enforce-work-permit-law-from-next-week-75520/

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/13889/work-permit-crackdown--westerners-next/

Annual visa runs - jeez. It's gonna be tough.

[Pattaya46]

So, no easy ride for UK nationals and £5,000 is more than 200,000 baht, maybe they don't like UK farang anymore!

200'000 baht for a 6 to 9 months stay is not much

when you see they ask 800'000 for 1 year retirement extension.

[bamukloy]

By saying this it sounds like they do not let you go back to do the same thing a second year

Pray tell, any financial requirement, purchase or paperwork needed for the investment visa to Cambodia?

"According to Lt. Gen. Leakna, visa renewals for long-term residents will also be affected. He said new arrivals to Cambodia can acquire a one-month business visa then apply for a one-year extension.

But after one year, if you cant find a job, you have to go out of Cambodia and cannot extend more, he said."

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-to-strictly-enforce-work-permit-law-from-next-week-75520/

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/13889/work-permit-crackdown--westerners-next/

Annual visa runs - jeez. It's gonna be tough.

[VIPinthailand]

where is the problem? just get a single entry Visa at 1000 baths and go back to embassy every 90 days for a new visa.

repeat the procedure until they ask you some questions.

staying one night in Vientiane won't kill you!

Edited November 12, 2015 by VIPinthailand

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Really don't understand why some posters think that the requirements are so tough now.

A Thai that wishes to travel as a tourist to the Schengen countries faces much more obstacles before they get their 90 days Schengen visa.

* Proof of Employment

* Proof of Funds

* Proof or real hotel bookings

* Travel Insurance

* Some embassies such as the German want to even know if the the person owns land, proof of financial statements

* Letter of Employment

* Complete travel plans

* Name of mother, father, spouses and list of current childrens

and the list goes on and on.

If some farangs travel to Thailand on a METV they should proof that they have the funds to support themselves and have employment if they are below retirement age (pension claims).

If they do not have those funds, they do not qualify for such as a visa. The European economies are down the toilet in many countries and the last thing Thailand needs is getting more invasions from unemployed farangs that try to start a new life in Thailand but they might not have the means to support and survive in Thailand.

This is not about the Digital Nomads but about unemployed foreigners.

Thailand is a great country for finding employment but a large number of foreigners will end up on overstay because they thought it is easy to find a job in Thailand. What the current government has done is to replicate what Thais need for entering a Schengen country so if Thais are able to apply for a visa to Europe then Europeans should be too able to supply all those supporting documents and if a European tourist wants an METV but is not able to qualify, then he should find a new country to migrate but Thailand would be the wrong country.

Maybe Thailand will loose 30-40,000 long-term stayers but it just a very very small percent of all foreigners visiting Thailand.

Offshore workers have absolute no problem as their money is welcome in Thailand. Anyone that is unable to fly back to their country should go for a SETV until that door is closed once and for all. I wouldn't be surprised that after tomorrow (13 Nov) that visa application might be getting rejected because of to many tourist visas already in the applicants passport and over the next week a lot of people might post on TV that a SE visa was issued with a warning to fly home for the next visa.

The same countries that welcome a boatload of economic immigrants from Syria - no questions asked?

Very nice comparison, indeed.

[Asiantravel]

where is the problem? just get a single entry Visa at 1000 baths and go back to embassy every 90 days for a new visa.

repeat the procedure until they ask you some questions.

staying one night in Vientiane won't kill you!

and how many of those do you believe people will be able get away with?

[ParadiseLost]

Really don't understand why some posters think that the requirements are so tough now.

A Thai that wishes to travel as a tourist to the Schengen countries faces much more obstacles before they get their 90 days Schengen visa.

* Proof of Employment

* Proof of Funds

* Proof or real hotel bookings

* Travel Insurance

* Some embassies such as the German want to even know if the the person owns land, proof of financial statements

* Letter of Employment

* Complete travel plans

* Name of mother, father, spouses and list of current childrens

and the list goes on and on.

If some farangs travel to Thailand on a METV they should proof that they have the funds to support themselves and have employment if they are below retirement age (pension claims).

If they do not have those funds, they do not qualify for such as a visa. The European economies are down the toilet in many countries and the last thing Thailand needs is getting more invasions from unemployed farangs that try to start a new life in Thailand but they might not have the means to support and survive in Thailand.

This is not about the Digital Nomads but about unemployed foreigners.

Thailand is a great country for finding employment but a large number of foreigners will end up on overstay because they thought it is easy to find a job in Thailand. What the current government has done is to replicate what Thais need for entering a Schengen country so if Thais are able to apply for a visa to Europe then Europeans should be too able to supply all those supporting documents and if a European tourist wants an METV but is not able to qualify, then he should find a new country to migrate but Thailand would be the wrong country.

Maybe Thailand will loose 30-40,000 long-term stayers but it just a very very small percent of all foreigners visiting Thailand.

Offshore workers have absolute no problem as their money is welcome in Thailand. Anyone that is unable to fly back to their country should go for a SETV until that door is closed once and for all. I wouldn't be surprised that after tomorrow (13 Nov) that visa application might be getting rejected because of to many tourist visas already in the applicants passport and over the next week a lot of people might post on TV that a SE visa was issued with a warning to fly home for the next visa.

The same countries that welcome a boatload of economic immigrants from Syria - no questions asked?

Very nice comparison, indeed.

So because the EU is forced into taking x amount of desperate people, fleeing for their lives, Thailand should open it's doors to spoiled EU brats with shady finances and dubious skills?

Oh, and so far as no questions asked, Have certain EU countries not recently announced the re-imposition of border controls, and others new razor-wire migrant fences?

I do not see the relevance at all.

Edited November 12, 2015 by ParadiseLost

[DLang]

f

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Give it 2 months and there will be a friendly consulate in the region giving them out with asking for the proof of funds etc.

[elviajero]

JB300, you are a good example of huge group of retirees. Self funded and now wishing to travel. Those folk could easily wish to spend long periods in say asia. Thailand makes a great base with flights to so many places from bkk. METV would be maybe a good idea for many. So what do they do. Make it that you need a job to return to. Make so many stupid requirements that its useless befor it even starts.

I don't understand the negativity. If someone is traveling Asia why would they; (a) base themselves anywhere, (B ) need a METV. Surely a SETV or two would be good enough along with visa exempt entries, extensions of stay and re-entry permits. And I believe that "self funded" retirees that have a regular provable income might still have a chance at getting the METV (time will tell on that).

Edited November 12, 2015 by ubonjoe
put space behind the B to make smiley go away

[jacksam]

My point is that if the current requirements for METV exclude many. Yes a self funded retiree could visit for some time on succesive setv with extensions. There are many people that would like a base so to speak. I am doing exactly what earlier poster suggested. I travel in and out of los every few weeks. Bkk is great for flying to many countries and very cheap.

my point is .....who is the METV suited for. Not my backpacker sons spending next nine months in asia.

I can hardly come up with examples the metv caters for with its current requirements. Certainly not a chineese or russian tourist. Not the backpacker group i referred to. Not self funded people like myself. Not rich dudes working for themselves etc. So who exactly is metv for.

when a business provides a product it has a target market and alsi does market research on possible uptakes etc etc. Clearly the metv was plucked from thin air

[ldiablo]

Which visas is cambodia "tightening up on"

Also thailand did not tighten up. They removed two visa types and intriduced a non related useless metv. Suitable for exactly who. Will be interesting to see how many are issued over next 12 months.

when I was in Cambodia 3 weeks ago rumour of this was floating about everywhere. They are talking about the one year Visa that used to be referred to as a business Visa. Anyway their line of thinking at immigration is that no more such annual visas will be granted unless you also need for a work permit. In other words if you don't need a work permit because you don't have a business then they will argue you don't need a one year extension and you should only need a tourist Visa. This hasn't been implemented yet but when I was in Koh Kong I happened to be introduced to a retired immigration officer and he confirmed that there are going to be some big changes in the Cambodian Visa system.

When you have some facts to substantiate your rumor other than what's said by a retired immigration officer get back to us. Until then stick your rumors up your ... !!!

" According to Lt. Gen. Leakna, visa renewals for long-term residents will also be affected. He said new arrivals to Cambodia can acquire a one-month business visa then apply for a one-year extension.

“But after one year, if you can’t find a job, you have to go out of Cambodia and cannot extend more,” he said."

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/govt-to-strictly-enforce-work-permit-law-from-next-week-75520/

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/13889/work-permit-crackdown--westerners-next/

Why didn't you just post that to begin with?

[totally thaied up]

JB300, you are a good example of huge group of retirees. Self funded and now wishing to travel. Those folk could easily wish to spend long periods in say asia. Thailand makes a great base with flights to so many places from bkk. METV would be maybe a good idea for many. So what do they do. Make it that you need a job to return to. Make so many stupid requirements that its useless befor it even starts.

I don't understand the negativity. If someone is traveling Asia why would they; (a) base themselves anywhere, (B ) need a METV. Surely a SETV or two would be good enough along with visa exempt entries, extensions of stay and re-entry permits. And I believe that "self funded" retirees that have a regular provable income might still have a chance at getting the METV (time will tell on that).

That is for me the Million Dollar Question. What about self funded retirees.

I have asked my Embassy with a very detailed letter drafted to them about 'self funded' retirees' an as to date, they just replied with a big fat zero in details to me (they gave me this link and nothing else at all for a reply http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/doc/announcement/211015METV.pdf)

So at this stage I know nothing and it seems Canberra knows nothing at all. They are going to have to put something up shortly but at this moment, the cat is very much in the bag in Australia.

[tubby johnson]

This visa seems ideal for retired people, until they're asked for proof of employment: Sorry, no METV for you.

In short, there will be ridiculously few takers for the METV, and expect these draconian requirements to be relaxed soon. Without tourist money, Thailand will sink further into economic obscurity.

[JackThompson]

This is not about the Digital Nomads but about unemployed foreigners.

Thailand is a great country for finding employment but a large number of foreigners will end up on overstay because they thought it is easy to find a job in Thailand. What the current government has done is to replicate what Thais need for entering a Schengen country so if Thais are able to apply for a visa to Europe then Europeans should be too able to supply all those supporting documents and if a European tourist wants an METV but is not able to qualify, then he should find a new country to migrate but Thailand would be the wrong country.

...

The same countries that welcome a boatload of economic immigrants from Syria - no questions asked?

Very nice comparison, indeed.

So because the EU is forced into taking x amount of desperate people, fleeing for their lives, Thailand should open it's doors to spoiled EU brats with shady finances and dubious skills?

Oh, and so far as no questions asked, Have certain EU countries not recently announced the re-imposition of border controls, and others new razor-wire migrant fences?

I do not see the relevance at all.

Most of the refugees entering Europe coming for economic reasons, hence why they demand to go to the richest nations, with the most generous welfare offerings. If it were religious minorities only (Christian Syrans, for example, currently being murdered by US-backed 'rebels'), that would be another story. They are a drain to Euro's welfare coffers.

Now compare that to Western foreigners in Thailand, who come from nations with good educational standards, and continuously bring in foreign money, having the opposite effect. There is no "welfare" on offer for foreigners in Thailand to take, and wages are higher, and benefits more plentiful, in the West. This is the primary relevance / difference as concerns the METV requirements, and why imposing the same requirements as Europe, makes no logical sense.

Due to a huge popular backlash against the potential dilution of the Euro labor force (see: Iron Law of Wages) - as well as culturally-related violence (see the rape-stats in Sweden) - as well as due to the threat of terrorists coming in within the crowd (No IDs) - some politicians are starting to talk about "limiting" how many millions enter. A fence or wall on an internationally-recognized border does not hurt anyone not entering a nation illegally.

Again, by contrast with Thailand, where no rape-epidemic, terrorism, or other culturally-rooted violence is an issue with Western foreigners, so no reason to limit their entry on those grounds. Add the positive economic effects, and this explains why there is no widespread public support for booting out Westerners, here.

The few working illegally as teachers should have the book thrown at them, including those who hire them. Borders and Consulates are not the places to find the offenders, as they cannot be differentiated from innocents at those locations. If teachers caught without B-Visas faced a mandatory year in prison, there would be few risking it, for a paltry salary, in short order.

[chrisinth]

My point is that if the current requirements for METV exclude many. Yes a self funded retiree could visit for some time on succesive setv with extensions. There are many people that would like a base so to speak. I am doing exactly what earlier poster suggested. I travel in and out of los every few weeks. Bkk is great for flying to many countries and very cheap.

my point is .....who is the METV suited for. Not my backpacker sons spending next nine months in asia.

I can hardly come up with examples the metv caters for with its current requirements. Certainly not a chineese or russian tourist. Not the backpacker group i referred to. Not self funded people like myself. Not rich dudes working for themselves etc. So who exactly is metv for.

when a business provides a product it has a target market and alsi does market research on possible uptakes etc etc. Clearly the metv was plucked from thin air

The closer it gets to the 13th Nov. the more i see this as a white elephant, for many of the points you have mentioned above.

New visa has taken the double/triple entries off the table and, with the current requirements, has effectively reduced the target user to a very small group.

Even though it doesn't affect me, i am intrigued by the MFA's methodology in this matter.

[oncearugge]

My point is that if the current requirements for METV exclude many. Yes a self funded retiree could visit for some time on succesive setv with extensions. There are many people that would like a base so to speak. I am doing exactly what earlier poster suggested. I travel in and out of los every few weeks. Bkk is great for flying to many countries and very cheap.

my point is .....who is the METV suited for. Not my backpacker sons spending next nine months in asia.

I can hardly come up with examples the metv caters for with its current requirements. Certainly not a chineese or russian tourist. Not the backpacker group i referred to. Not self funded people like myself. Not rich dudes working for themselves etc. So who exactly is metv for.

when a business provides a product it has a target market and alsi does market research on possible uptakes etc etc. Clearly the metv was plucked from thin air

The closer it gets to the 13th Nov. the more i see this as a white elephant, for many of the points you have mentioned above.

New visa has taken the double/triple entries off the table and, with the current requirements, has effectively reduced the target user to a very small group.

Even though it doesn't affect me, i am intrigued by the MFA's methodology in this matter.

The METV will achieve exactly what the Thai authorities wanted ie,

1. Drastically reduce illegal working

and

2. Make to life more difficult for those who believe they have a "right" to live long term in Thailand using inappropriate visas.

There will be little or no effect on the number of genuine tourist arrivals.

[ParadiseLost]

The same countries that welcome a boatload of economic immigrants from Syria - no questions asked?

Very nice comparison, indeed.

So because the EU is forced into taking x amount of desperate people, fleeing for their lives, Thailand should open it's doors to spoiled EU brats with shady finances and dubious skills?

Oh, and so far as no questions asked, Have certain EU countries not recently announced the re-imposition of border controls, and others new razor-wire migrant fences?

I do not see the relevance at all.

Most of the refugees entering Europe coming for economic reasons, hence why they demand to go to the richest nations, with the most generous welfare offerings. If it were religious minorities only (Christian Syrans, for example, currently being murdered by US-backed 'rebels'), that would be another story. They are a drain to Euro's welfare coffers.

Now compare that to Western foreigners in Thailand, who come from nations with good educational standards, and continuously bring in foreign money, having the opposite effect. There is no "welfare" on offer for foreigners in Thailand to take, and wages are higher, and benefits more plentiful, in the West. This is the primary relevance / difference as concerns the METV requirements, and why imposing the same requirements as Europe, makes no logical sense.

Due to a huge popular backlash against the potential dilution of the Euro labor force (see: Iron Law of Wages) - as well as culturally-related violence (see the rape-stats in Sweden) - as well as due to the threat of terrorists coming in within the crowd (No IDs) - some politicians are starting to talk about "limiting" how many millions enter. A fence or wall on an internationally-recognized border does not hurt anyone not entering a nation illegally.

Again, by contrast with Thailand, where no rape-epidemic, terrorism, or other culturally-rooted violence is an issue with Western foreigners, so no reason to limit their entry on those grounds. Add the positive economic effects, and this explains why there is no widespread public support for booting out Westerners, here.

The few working illegally as teachers should have the book thrown at them, including those who hire them. Borders and Consulates are not the places to find the offenders, as they cannot be differentiated from innocents at those locations. If teachers caught without B-Visas faced a mandatory year in prison, there would be few risking it, for a paltry salary, in short order.

Okay... so the problem in the EU is the excessive number of migrants arriving with no jobs and no funds to support themselves - correct? So, amongst those migrants, how much money should those wishing to emigrate to the EU have before you would consider them in a different light; not as a burden, but rather a positive benefit to the country?

How would you have such people prove they are worthy of gaining access, and how would you disassociate them from the rest of the drivel? How many should be allowed?

What's that you say- they should have a visa? And they should apply before they arrive?

Of course that is correct for the EU but you say not for Thailand?

[jacksam]

Oncearugge Glad you have direct access to thai law makers. Maybe with such insight you might take a stab at 12 months down the tract. Would be a real hoot if the metv became available in nearby consulates. But hey that could never happen. Could it.

If thai wanted solely to rid itself of illegal workers etc. Then what on earth is the metv for. Just do away with double and triple tv. Metv is unrelated.

Edited November 12, 2015 by jacksam

[ukrules]

This visa seems ideal for retired people, until they're asked for proof of employment: Sorry, no METV for you.

In short, there will be ridiculously few takers for the METV, and expect these draconian requirements to be relaxed soon. Without tourist money, Thailand will sink further into economic obscurity.

Yes, it looks like they don't want retired people to stay for more than a couple of months.

The only option will be the retirement visa which is way over the top for a long stay holiday.

There are three possibilities :

1 - They realise they made a mistake and exampt retired people from the employment requirement which would make a lot of sense

2 - Less retired people will come to Thailand for long stays, those that do come will stay for 3 months and then leave.

This will affect people planning to come to Thailand this year as a lot of them won't have got the visa yet.

There's already a lot of retired people who come for either 60 or 90 days which is no coincidence. They either don't want to the hassle of going to immigration in a foreign country or won't do a visa run. I know plenty of people who fit into this category.

[MobileContent]

Oncearugge Glad you have direct access to thai law makers. Maybe with such insight you might take a stab at 12 months down the tract. Would be a real hoot if the metv became available in nearby consulates. But hey that could never happen. Could it.

If thai wanted solely to rid itself of illegal workers etc. Then what on earth is the metv for. Just do away with double and triple tv. Metv is unrelated.

They got rid off the 1/2/3 entries. The METV visa is for foreigners that live in their home country and that want to come over to Thailand for three to 6 months. Perfect for just 5000 - 7000 Baht. The METV visa is exactly that. Show me the money and I will give you a six month visa. If you don't have that money, no problem you can still get a SE at one of the consulates but once you have your 2-3 entries, please go home and apply a METV so that we can have a look on your finances if you are a qualified tourist. All those peoples that are wining now on this forum (seems to be just a handfull) might no that their days/months are counted.

Anyone has for sale an iMac or a Nissan 300xl Teana. Happy to pay cash for the right price.

[MobileContent]

I was in sihanoukville a week ago mixing with many expats that had lived there for years. Not a mention of any rumours floating about rules in cambodia.

Looking for a new home

[ParadiseLost]

Glad you have direct access to thai law makers. Maybe with such insight you might take a stab at 12 months down the tract. Would be a real hoot if the metv became available in nearby consulates. But hey that could never happen. Could it.

If thai wanted solely to rid itself of illegal workers etc. Then what on earth is the metv for. Just do away with double and triple tv. Metv is unrelated.

I'm sorry but you are really laying it on too thick now and you aren't even directly affected (unless some of your mates are) but whatever your motivation you still should try to add something meaningful every now and then. Or else just cut and paste the same one.

There are many threads on TV in which people who live in extreme cold environs wish to spend the winter in a warm country and Thailand is their one and only choice. Until now such people had to join the rest of the fortune hunters (criminal and illegal working types) buying multiple SETV (Double or Triple entries).

These people will not be put off with the METV rules (or cost) and they actually do what they attest to, they do not work and they go home. Until next year. They also fly around SE Asia and even further afield so using the METV means they do not need a Re-entry permit and can go in and out as many times they like. Real tourists, with real money to spend...

It's quite understandable for some people to be upset - if they are affected they have the additional misery of knowing they played and lost. Moaning about it and throwing insults and spite only makes people sound immature.

The only people with a real beef here are the retired, as there is no mention of age or pension etc. I would guess pension would equal income and old age negates employment. Bank account requirements would be the same for both. One can only hope.

[MobileContent]

So, no easy ride for UK nationals and £5,000 is more than 200,000 baht, maybe they don't like UK farang anymore!

I doubt it. I wonder if they can think of anything by replacing

a double(triple)-entry TV by a new METV with the apparently

ridiculous requirements and if this new visa will work well.

They might be thinking of catching up with the Farangs or

even getting even with them by doing this.

They'll definitely be losing more money in the end.

They now put the same rules in place for the farangs that Thais had to do when they visit Farang country. Farangs are 1st world country so I am sure the large number of farangs will have no problem and only a few thousand might have to move to Cambodia, Philippines or return home. Farangs that have the money will just continue Thailand as a destination.

[Pattaya46]

The METV visa is for foreigners that live in their home country and that want to come over to Thailand for three to 6 months.

It's not at all the way TAT announced it months ago. They said it's a visa for those who make very frequent (& short) travels to Thailand. It's a visa targeting mainly Asian countries or countries not to far. An example given was rich businessmen who use to come frequently for a week-end of playing golf (from Hong Kong by example?). They use to come on visa exempt, VOA or using equivalent short stay schemes. Other example was tourists using Thailand as a hub to visit neighbouring Asian countries. Now that immigration monitors strongly repeated visa exempt short stays, METV will be perfect for them.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Pattaya46

[MobileContent]

This visa seems ideal for retired people, until they're asked for proof of employment: Sorry, no METV for you.

In short, there will be ridiculously few takers for the METV, and expect these draconian requirements to be relaxed soon. Without tourist money, Thailand will sink further into economic obscurity.

No worry about the tourists. Western tourists have always been a small number compared to Asians. We had over 240,000 tourists from Europe last year and this year we had for the first time 45,000 Indians and 51,000 Chinese. Last year we had none. All our clients are staying in four and five star hotels and we hope to double by next year that number.

[ubonjoe]

Several off topic posts have been removed. The door is almost closed on this topic. It will not take much more of the same for it to be closed.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

My prediction.

After 40 pages of mostly crap theories (myself included) I proclaim that in less than a year Thailand will offer METV in most consulates just like it used to offer a double entry visa.... to just about everyone.

Either that or they will eliminate this visa all together and introduce something "new".

Personally I believe Thailand is on the road for a major economic pain ahead.

Money talks.

[tribalfusion001]

My prediction.

After 40 pages of mostly crap theories (myself included) I proclaim that in less than a year Thailand will offer METV in most consulates just like it used to offer a double entry visa.... to just about everyone.

Either that or they will eliminate this visa all together and introduce something "new".

Personally I believe Thailand is on the road for a major economic pain ahead.

Money talks.

My prediction is Thailand wants more short stay tourists who spend their money and go home. A further tightening on all visas to make staying in Thailand long term unpractical, return to Thainess as someone important said.