Thailand set to extend free visa offer in bid to lure more foreign tourists

[sambum]

2 minutes ago, goferman said:

What about more constructive measures such as reducing the tremendous burden from the visa process on most long-stay tourists, many of whom would qualify as "quality tourists". My home Country of Canada issues 5-year tourist visas with a maximum stay period of 6-months. If someone wants to stay longer, simply submit a short form that is usually approved. So, why doesn't Thailand reciprocate in kind? Good question. Perhaps someone is preventing the Minister from knowing about this. There certainly would be a lobby group out there ... consisting of airlines, ferries, buses, trains and taxis and more .... let's hope the Minister gets the message. 

 

Yes, they seem to make it more and more difficult all the time for ex-pats living here with all the additional requirements to get visa extensions. 

[catinthehat]

41 minutes ago, lavender19 said:

Grasping at straws again as they say.

Thailand is just not value for money anymore.

But they just don't get it

And add to that the increasing crimes against the unwary tourist. Used to be these were only heard of occasionally. Now there are multiple daily occurrences. I am sure that much of this is due to the fact that the use of smartphones and social media is rampant nowadays. And it even increases the evidence of Thai vs Thai violence as depicted in the use of dash cams and such.

By the way CCTV now seems to be used quite selectively. Due to the many that are not working or scrutinize those that can afford not to be.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Some off topic posts and replies to them have been removed. From now on they will be removed without further notice.

And again.

[eskatonia]

2 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Yes, they seem to make it more and more difficult all the time for ex-pats living here with all the additional requirements to get visa extensions. 

 

Yes, but on the other end they also dropped the price on thailand elite.  100,000 THB a year ($2800 USD) is really pretty reasonable considering all the hassles it solves if you don't qualify for any other way of staying.  It works out at $7.60 a day, less than many people spend on cigarettes or booze in the west.

[sambum]

9 minutes ago, eskatonia said:

 

Yes, but on the other end they also dropped the price on thailand elite.  100,000 THB a year ($2800 USD) is really pretty reasonable considering all the hassles it solves if you don't qualify for any other way of staying.  It works out at $7.60 a day, less than many people spend on cigarettes or booze in the west.

 

Lots of ex pats are not in a position to lay their hands immediately on a  "pretty reasonable" 100,000 baht, let alone the 500,000 baht you need for a 5 year stay!

And that still doesn't explain why they are continually making it more difficult for ex pats by changing the "rules and regs" every year.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by sambum
Additional text

[TerrylSky]

Idiablo72:  Well it might not being a question of being able to afford the 1,000 baht visa fee; it's just that I know dang well how I would rather spend it.  

[Terryter]

I applied by post at the Royal Thai Embassy London for a 2 month tourist visa on Monday 16th of this week. Had Passport with visa returned along with my £25 on Thursday 19th, nice surprise, as nowhere on their website does it mention free.  

[SicTransit]

My home Country of Canada issues 5-year tourist visas with a maximum stay period of 6-months.

The burden of proving you're not gonna work illegally is tremendous if you apply for a canadian visa with a non-G7 passport. I sure hope thai foreign ministry doesn't take any hints from Canada on this.

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, Terryter said:

I applied by post at the Royal Thai Embassy London for a 2 month tourist visa on Monday 16th of this week. Had Passport with visa returned along with my £25 on Thursday 19th, nice surprise, as nowhere on their website does it mention free.  

It is there on this page. http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/en/visa-modern

 

Quote

Temporary Exemption of Tourist Visa Fee (Single Entry) from 1 December 2016 until 28 February 2017
1. All applicants applying for Tourist Visa (single entry) to Thailand during the mentioned period will be exempted from the visa fee; and
2. During this mentioned period, Visa on Arrival (VoA) fee will be decreased from 2,000 THB to 1,000 THB for applicants of those nationalities which are entitled to apply for VoA at the designated immigration checkpoints.
 

 

[stevew407]

15 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is there on this page. http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/en/visa-modern

 

 

This must be UK right or duh?  Anyone have any more info on USA?  I am or have Notify me of replies, but not sure how or where these go and work?  I SOMETIMES get a FLASH notification, but then is disappears and also that I probably have missed a ton of stuff or posts on things I am TRYING to follow and learn. This old dog has a hard time learning new tricks so to speak and I love the sarcasm and teasing and roasting so to speak........but it takes a lot of TIME.......

[paul18620]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

 

Lots of ex pats are not in a position to lay their hands immediately on a  "pretty reasonable" 100,000 baht, let alone the 500,000 baht you need for a 5 year stay!

And that still doesn't explain why they are continually making it more difficult for ex pats by changing the "rules and regs" every year.

 

why pay 100,000 bhat a year for a"TOURIST VISA' as this is what you get from TE 

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, stevew407 said:

This must be UK right or duh?  Anyone have any more info on USA?  I am or have Notify me of replies, but not sure how or where these go and work?  I SOMETIMES get a FLASH notification, but then is disappears and also that I probably have missed a ton of stuff or posts on things I am TRYING to follow and learn. This old dog has a hard time learning new tricks so to speak and I love the sarcasm and teasing and roasting so to speak........but it takes a lot of TIME.......

At this time they are free everywhere. The US included.

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't care really care about the SETV cost.

I can handle that easily.

I got a "free" SETV from Hong Kong

Of course it required a hotel stay in Hong Kong which  , of course, wasn't free.

But it was nice to have the girl at the Thai consulate in Hong Kong say, "Here is your visa, sir. No charge for this visa".

As we Americans say, "Better than a swift kick in the A__"

No complaints here.

 

 

 

 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

In order to try and make up the shortfall left by visitors from China, the cabinet announced in November that the visa on arrival fee would be halved to 1,000 baht for the 19 eligible nations from December 1st to February 28th 2017.

Yes tourists are no doubt a commodity here. I love this lady there is just something about her. Its a tough job to keep all the tourist balls in the air at one time and she gives it her best. 

[Crash999]

5 hours ago, dutchweller said:

Better they should be offering to pay people to come if they keep up the absolute shambles that was immigration recently 

4.5 hours to clear at swampy on the 20th at 8am.

It was almost getting to a state of riot people were so pissed off 

 

 

How did it take you 4.5 hrs to get through immigration from 8am yesterday? I landed at 9am and was in a taxi by 1030am, and that was with the line going all the way down the ramp and past the duty free shop. It's the longest I've ever had to wait but nowhere near 4.5 hours.

[Phuketboy]

Mrs Kobkarn told the Bangkok Post the visa incentive had helped to boost tourist arrivals in December and that between January 1st to 20th, 1.8 million international tourists arrived in Thailand, which is a 6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

 

That's strange because nearly all business owners I have spoke to over the last week have said business is down about 30% on this time last year.  

[Grubster]

9 hours ago, dutchweller said:

Better they should be offering to pay people to come if they keep up the absolute shambles that was immigration recently 

4.5 hours to clear at swampy on the 20th at 8am.

It was almost getting to a state of riot people were so pissed off 

Yes and a smooth, fast and easy process there would do more than a 1000 baht savings for getting people to come back.

[philliphn]

12 hours ago, harrry said:

In my view it is not the free visa which can atract people, it may be a visa free entry at the border that can.

It is not the fees that are the problem when people apply for visas it is the physical logistic delay of sending pasports to get them and the waiting, not so bad if you are in the city where the visa is issued but a pain if not.

For me this is a problem. I am a British and American citizen. I am 61 years old, retired, and live in a cold State. With long winters. In this State their is no Thai Consulate. I ideally would like to spend 3 to 4 months in Thailand each year. Likely, soon I will retire in Thailand. But, to get the proper Visa, at the Thai Embassy, in the United State of America. Is a confusing problem for me. If they could make it simpler and less confusing for me. I would be more than grateful and appreciative. I more than meet the financial requirements for retirement.

[bangon04]

14 hours ago, dutchweller said:

Better they should be offering to pay people to come if they keep up the absolute shambles that was immigration recently 

4.5 hours to clear at swampy on the 20th at 8am.

It was almost getting to a state of riot people were so pissed off 

It would be nice if the immigration police produced the TM6 in Chinese AND allocate a special line for the Chinese where the staff fill out the TM6 for them ready to go to the desk. In fact they could allocate a whole hall for the Chinese because the Chinese do not like standing in line and prefer to make a huge scrum

Edited January 21, 2017 by bangon04

[bangon04]

4 hours ago, Grubster said:

Yes and a smooth, fast and easy process there would do more than a 1000 baht savings for getting people to come back.

Singapore airport - 5 minutes at passport control, 55 minutes shopping and eating.

Bangkok Airport - 55 minutes at passport control, 5 minutes for shopping and eating.

 

I am sure King Power cares less......

[ubonjoe]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Some off topic posts and replies to them have been removed. From now on they will be removed without further notice.

 

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

And again.

And again after removing 25 posts.

[phuketrichard]

17 hours ago, Lupatria said:

Last week I applied for a Myanmar tourist visa at a cost of 2.800 Thb for same day delivery. The queue of applicants at the embassy in Bangkok was more than 100 m long. The queue of applicants at the Thai embassy in Yangon consisted of 3 people and none of them were "weekend" or long stay tourists...

why on earth would u pay that much!!! its $50 online and takes usually  1 day ONLY and u dont need go anywhere to do it !!!!

[goferman]

15 hours ago, SicTransit said:

 

The burden of proving you're not gonna work illegally is tremendous if you apply for a canadian visa with a non-G7 passport. I sure hope thai foreign ministry doesn't take any hints from Canada on this.

 

Not aware of any such burden on Canada's end ... in the past two years i helped both a Thai and a Russian get a 5-year tourist visas for Canada and didn't encounter any problem trying to prove either person was not going to work there. Perhaps there was a problem specific to your case? In any event, the burden of doing a visa run is significant ... my trip to KL last week cost about 40,000 baht and 4 days time. I'd gladly pay that amount directly to Thailand in return for a 5-year tourist visa with 6-month stay periods. 

[Stargeezr]

I just find that these visas are more of a pain than they have to be, there should be a complete

update in many countries to get into the 21 century, and quit being tedious for foolish reasons.

  Every time I come to Thailand, I wished that they would do like some other countries like Mexico

for example. 90 days without needing any visa, just your airline ticket, and passport.

  As long as you get checked at the port of entry and registered as being in country, that is all that

Thailand and most countrirs, should need.

Geezer

[elgordo38]

16 hours ago, Phuketboy said:

Mrs Kobkarn told the Bangkok Post the visa incentive had helped to boost tourist arrivals in December and that between January 1st to 20th, 1.8 million international tourists arrived in Thailand, which is a 6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

 

That's strange because nearly all business owners I have spoke to over the last week have said business is down about 30% on this time last year.  

What the TAT lady telling porkies and with such a straight face yet. I find it hard to believe that the lady that takes her job so seriously could do that. She is a saint.

[Phuketboy]

35 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

What the TAT lady telling porkies and with such a straight face yet. I find it hard to believe that the lady that takes her job so seriously could do that. She is a saint.

The same lady who said "Pokemon Go will save Thailand" hahahahaha.  She is pathetic.  

[elgordo38]

Just now, Phuketboy said:

The same lady who said "Pokemon Go will save Thailand" hahahahaha.  She is pathetic.  

Maybe just a little bit but what a strong brave face she has. Life is a tough road today you play the cards your dealt. Unlike the PM she only tells tourist porkies. 

[PCRider]

i think, it is a good idea because without visa we can feel here like our home

[BuckBee]

What they really need do is modernise the tourist visa system and have an online evisa system, nobody cares about the 1,000bt but they do care about ballache in aquaring a visa just for tourism :-/

Just no common sense and inbred hiso ignorance blocking any progress. Rest of asean laughing its butt off ....

[ldiablo72]

 
Thats not what 'zero dollar' means in this case.  Zero dollar tours from china are a bait and switch where they offer super cheap tours then slug them with hidden extras and pressure tactics to pay for gifts etc.  
http://pattayatoday.net/news/thailand-news/china-eyes-zero-dollar-tours-5/

If you want to believe what the Thai government is saying that's fine but if that was the case than millions of Chinese people wouldn't have been flocking into Thailand every day.