Visa fees to be reduced to Bt1,000

By Pimnara Pradubwit 
The Nation 

 

 

BANGKOK:-- THAILAND WILL reduce its visa fees, including those for visas on arrival, for three months starting on December 1.

 

The move is intended to boost tourist arrivals, which is a key economic engine for the country.

“The fees will be cut to Bt1,000,” the Tourism Ministry announced yesterday.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30300621

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-26

i dont get it, if tourist arrivals are at record highs (as per TAT) why reduce the fees? 

 

someone is telling porkies..

None of it adds up..

 

36 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

i dont get it, if tourist arrivals are at record highs (as per TAT) why reduce the fees?

 

Perhaps the reverse of the Thai logic that dictates that when business is bad you put up prices to compensate for your loss?

 

The VOA fee was raised from 1000 to 2000baht, for those 19 countries in the scheme, on 27th September 2016, and is now being reduced back to 1000baht. 

 

The 1000baht that people from those countries would have ordinarily paid for a Tourist Visa in an Embassy/Consulate is being waived.

 

If they were working to standard practice the VOA price was initially raised because of fewer "customers".

 

Or they just got greedier.

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by Enoon

Reduce the tuk tuk prices on Phuket and people will be happy.

Or better, take 'em off the roads at all.

Oh yeah, THAT'S gonna make people change their minds about coming here. If they can afford that kind of travel, ฿1,000 won't make a bit of difference.

1 hour ago, Deli said:

Reduce the tuk tuk prices on Phuket and people will be happy.

Or better, take 'em off the roads at all.

I spent a month in Phuket and quickly found it was MUCH cheaper to rent a motorbike instead of taking their  tuk tuks.

A reduction in fees would normally be seen as a form of ' attraction ' but needless to say LoS doesn't need to attract visitors !

So my next SETV will be for free? 1000 Baht - 1000 Baht = 0 Baht

Just another mindless scramble to try and boost the economy...put them up, put them down, headless chickens running around not knowing what to do for the best as numbers of visitors that spend money shrinks and the potless Chinese turn up on their paid up front for everything tours that do nothing for the overall economy.

 

The 'good' tourists have left in large numbers owing to appalling safety features in Hotels and Restaurants, ruined beaches, the most dangerous roads on the Planet,  tourist murders, constant scams by Taxi's, Tuk Tuk's and anyone else who can get their nose in their wallet.

 

The good days are gone and won't be back because they have just raped visitors and put nothing back in.   Give it ten years and it will be all over as other surrounding countries take all the business in more ways than one.

1 hour ago, quandow said:

I spent a month in Phuket and quickly found it was MUCH cheaper to rent a motorbike instead of taking their  tuk tuks.

 

I think renting a BMW 7 series would be cheaper than taking the tuk tuks. 

What type of tourists choose the country they want to travel to/ in by how much the visa costs ??? 

6 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

i dont get it, if tourist arrivals are at record highs (as per TAT) why reduce the fees? 

 

someone is telling porkies..

Sounds like words of desperation. Any chance of reducing our annual visa extension fee? only kidding. I would gladly pay more for a service improvement. What bothers me is that the service has gone down hill while the price remains the same. 

Is the extension of visa fees affected? like say from 1900 to 1000? would be very good.

Hotels must be hurting to take such desperate measures ...they need to get Stickman back by hook or by crook..its all in a downward spiral 

What is different in the previous report on the original announcement of VOAs being reduced for 19 countries? Except this one says "Thailand will reduce its visa fees, including those for visas on arrival, for three months starting on December 1" which implies all visas. Given that the majority of non VOA visitors are from the 50 countries entitled to free entry without any visa under the Visa Exemption Scheme for up to 30 days, it is not applicable at all to them. Also a SETV in the UK currently costs £25 which is currently equivalent to about 1110 baht so is that going to be reduced by 110 baht? That really is going to result in a huge demand for SETVs!!! 

Right hand, left hand or just bad reporting? 

Edit:

Just read a report in the Phuket News where a senior official at Phuket Immigration when asked for clarification about the new 10 year visa and other changes said " “It is true that the Cabinet has approved this new visa and has also temporarily waived for three months the fees for single-entry tourist visas for certain countries" which is yet another confusing interpretation. 

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by Arandora
Updated information after original post.

What type of tourists choose the country they want to travel to/ in by how much the visa costs ??? 

I do. I do not go to countries that require visas not due to the cost, but the extra time required.

Vietnam for example requiring invitation letter and visa.. and waiting an hour for VOA is annoying as the process takes longer than the flight.

This has been announced by immigration and  is posted on dome Thai consulate webpages already.

For example it is poated on the Thai embessy webpage in Columbo, Sri Lankka.

This is the same }visa on arival" that 19 nations pay when their nationals emter Thailand.

The fee used to be 1000 Bant but a few months ago was raised to 2000 Bhat.

This does NOT apply to those who get a 30 day visa exempt entry.

this reduction is really only applicable to those who get a "visa on arrival" for those 19 country nationals.

It akso does NOT apply to those who get a Single Entry Tourist Visa which as far as i know still stays at the same 35 dollar fee.

A large majority of the Europrsn and U..K, U.S.,  Canadian, or Ausralian tourists who either get a visz exwmpt or SETV visa to Thailand will not be affected by this announcement.

 

Edited November 26, 20169 yr by IMA_FARANG

2 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

This has been announced by immigration and  is posted on dome Thai consulate webpages already.

For example it is poated on the Thai embessy webpage in Columbo, Sri Lankka.

This is the same }visa on arival" that 19 nations pay when their nationals emter Thailand.

The fee used to be 1000 Bant but a few months ago was raised to 2000 Bhat.

This does NOT apply to those who get a 30 day visa exempt entry.

this reduction is really only applicable to those who get a "visa on arrival" for those 19 country nationals.

It akso does NOT apply to those who get a Single Entry Tourist Visa which as far as i know still stays at the same 35 dollar fee.

A large majority of the Europrsn and U..K, U.S.,  Canadian, or Ausralian tourists who either get a visz exwmpt or SETV visa to Thailand will not be affected by this announcement.

 

Which as I said in my earlier reply makes the report from the Nation and other translations inaccurate and misleading and not for the first time!!!

Naturally, visitors are at an all time high and by reducing visa fees they will obviously attract only the high end tourists.....not that they need the money though...not in a million years!