Thailand approves extension of free tourist visas to August 2017

[alant]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It would of been free if they had applied at the embassy in London. The honorary consulates charge a fee to issue the visa which I think is 10 pounds at some of them.

I think it was you told me this before and thanks for the info, however it means that the Thai promotion is actually damaging it when the normal consulate (Honorary  or not) does not apply the ruling. For info Hull offers a 50% discount.

[peter48]

Come on the big issues are flight costs from most airlines especially at peak times ( families especially) , dropping pound and Euro against baht, expensive drinks in restaurants/bars, cash machines asking for 270 baht( 6 pounds) and so on. Thailand is no longer cheap  especially for Brits post crazy  Brexit. 

[CarlGabe]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get one in Vientiane. 

The free visas are not restricted to only your home country unless you are from a country that can only get any visa there.

 

Is it possible to get a visa for Thailand in Vientiane (Laos), then travel to Cambodia and stay there for a few days before entering Thailand from Cambodia?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, CarlGabe said:

Is it possible to get a visa for Thailand in Vientiane (Laos), then travel to Cambodia and stay there for a few days before entering Thailand from Cambodia?

Yes you could.

[reenatinnakor]

Just got mine in hk. That's 3 now back to back and they not said anything! British passport but also have to use hkid card, not sure if the hkid card makes me less dodgy.

I don't think 45 usd or 300 hkd makes much difference to someone deciding whether to go to Thailand or not. Unless the travel agents in China and other countries are putting a mark-up on it when processing group tours.

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[johnsjourney]

$45 would make a difference when booking a flight, it's part of the same package many people will total up when comparing destinations

[daveabuilder]

Im getting a 60 tourist visa in liverpool in a couple of weeks,will this now be free instead of £25

Edited February 8, 2017 by daveabuilder

[daiwill60]

When i came to Thailand for my first holiday back in 2011 i never had to apply for a visa anyway , ok it was 10 day holiday followed the next year by another holiday no visa required.  My kids came last year for 2 weeks , no visas required .  So is this a case of 60 days FOC and what happens if you want 90 days ???  Dont see what all the big fuss is about????

 

[Destiny1990]

How about a 5 year visa without any border runs or immigration office visits in between for every foreigner buying a new condo?

to attract  foreigner investments?

[hawker9000]

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I think it is the same as this form on their website. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa Application Form_new_V_13_8_2558.pdf

Dec 2015 was my last trip to Vientiane, and the form I had downloaded from this website and filled out in advance was not accepted.  I was handed another form by one of the ladies at the table in front.  I even mentioned that I'd just downloaded the form from their own site two days before, but still had to redo it.   I took a minute to compare the two while filling in the new one and noted some differences (minor, but still differences).  Sorry, 'can't remember exactly what the differences were now nor which of the two, if either, corresponds to this _2558 version.

[slippedisc]

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That is because it is honorary Thai consulate and the only revenue they get is from visa fees. Some honorary consulates are doing a service charge to issue the free visas.

That answers my question, as to why I had to pay for mine in Liverpool. Useful to know and makes sense. Thanks.

 

Out of interest, does anyone know the definition of a an honorary consulate?

 

[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, slippedisc said:

Out of interest, does anyone know the definition of a an honorary consulate?

A Google search gave me several answers. A honorary consulate is headed by a honorary consul that is not a employ of the Thai government nor do they get paid by them.

See wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consul_(representative)#Honorary_consul

 

[modafinil]

23 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

What economic category of Indian citizen do you think can afford to holiday, abroad,  in Thailand?

 

It's all relative.

 

Wake up.

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's more to do with the fact that India is a hot country, just like Thailand. So the number of winter "sun-seekers" from India is basically nil.

 

 

[gemguy]

The fools...they are missing out on Billons of baht revenues....lol

I think they should start overcharging the Chinese ...seeing as they have overcharged the Farangs  for the last 40 years.

I believe in sharing....lol

Cheers

[sarayoot]

@ubonjoe Hello, I m french nationality 33 years old, usually I got non immigrant O visa Family (parent thai child 9 years old)  in Savanakhet, Lao since about 2 years, do you think is it possible to get a free visa tourist single entry (60 days) for my situation ? and If it s possible, can I extend for 60 days (instead 30 days - parent thai child) in my local Thai Immigration ? 

Thanks in advance

[AloisAmrein]

It is nothing else then a desperate move of TAT and immigration to boost tourism. On the other hand, the immigration does all to keep quality tourists like me away from the country, by limiting entry by land border to 2 times per year, with visa-free entry for now 30 days. So I am forced to spend my money in Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia. Never mind, prices in all these countries are cheaper then in Thailand. And they have nice beaches (not in Laos and Cambodia) and landscapes also.

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, sarayoot said:

@ubonjoe Hello, I m french nationality 33 years old, usually I got non immigrant O visa Family (parent thai child 9 years old)  in Savanakhet, Lao since about 2 years, do you think is it possible to get a free visa tourist single entry (60 days) for my situation ? and If it s possible, can I extend for 60 days (instead 30 days - parent thai child) in my local Thai Immigration ? 

Thanks in advance

You could if you wanted to.

If you go to Savannakhet for the tourist visa they are asking for tickets out of the country and financial proof at this time. They don't require it for a non-o visa.

[sarayoot]

Yes they don t require for a non-o visa ...and If I go to Vientiane or Penang for a free tourist visa do they asking for ticket and financial proof ? thanks again

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, sarayoot said:

Yes they don t require for a non-o visa ...and If I go to Vientiane or Penang for a free tourist visa do they asking for ticket and financial proof ? thanks again

They do not ask for them.

[sarayoot]

@@thanks I will try to apply a free tourist visa in Penang +++

[reenatinnakor]

It is nothing else then a desperate move of TAT and immigration to boost tourism. On the other hand, the immigration does all to keep quality tourists like me away from the country, by limiting entry by land border to 2 times per year, with visa-free entry for now 30 days. So I am forced to spend my money in Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia. Never mind, prices in all these countries are cheaper then in Thailand. And they have nice beaches (not in Laos and Cambodia) and landscapes also.

Why don't you just fly in and out like most "quality" tourists do? I've never had a problem with getting tourist visas and just coming in and out with a months break.

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[IMA_FARANG]

Not all tourist visa are used by those flying half way around the world.

Some are used by Chinese,  Malaysians, and other Asian countries.

In January, when I got my tourist visa in Hong Kong there were many Chinese or Hong Kong getting visas that were free.

They may not be the high-value tourists that TAT may want, but they do spend money in Thailand.

That is probably what TAT is thinking.

 

 

 

[AloisAmrein]

2 hours ago, reenatinnakor said:

 

Why don't you just fly in and out like most "quality" tourists do? I've never had a problem with getting tourist visas and just coming in and out with a months break.

Sent from my LG-H990 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

Why should I fly to Vientiane, when I stay in Udon Thani (70 km) or Nong Khai (20 km)? Overland it is less then 2 hours, flying means go to Bkk and then to Vientiane. Minimum time about 8 hours. You should think more logically.

[LoVeFuN]

I asked the Thai Consulate here in Dublin if the fees were applicable and they said only until end of February.
I am applying in April for a single entry tourist visa so they seem unaware of the extension and it would seem they require the 35 euros too.

Sent from my LG-V700 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[ubonjoe]

5 hours ago, LoVeFuN said:

I asked the Thai Consulate here in Dublin if the fees were applicable and they said only until end of February.
I am applying in April for a single entry tourist visa so they seem unaware of the extension and it would seem they require the 35 euros too.

Sent from my LG-V700 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

They probably have not been informed yet about the recent change to August. I am certain they will know about it by April. Since Dublin is honorary consulate there may be a service charge for issuing the visa.

[seancbk]

On 2/9/2017 at 4:20 PM, AloisAmrein said:

It is nothing else then a desperate move of TAT and immigration to boost tourism. On the other hand, the immigration does all to keep quality tourists like me away from the country, by limiting entry by land border to 2 times per year, with visa-free entry for now 30 days. So I am forced to spend my money in Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia. Never mind, prices in all these countries are cheaper then in Thailand. And they have nice beaches (not in Laos and Cambodia) and landscapes also.

If you are such a quality tourist why do you expect to enter Thailand on a visa free entry and why do you have to do your entries by land?

Try paying for a visa and flying in instead.

If price is your primary concern then what makes you a quality tourist?

[AloisAmrein]

1 hour ago, seancbk said:

If you are such a quality tourist why do you expect to enter Thailand on a visa free entry and why do you have to do your entries by land?

Try paying for a visa and flying in instead.

If price is your primary concern then what makes you a quality tourist?

Should I fly to Vientiane when I stay in Nong Khai or Udon Thani? By land 2 hours, by flight 8 hours with stopover in Bangkok. So you see, time is primary concern, not price. You should think logically.

[reenatinnakor]

Should I fly to Vientiane when I stay in Nong Khai or Udon Thani? By land 2 hours, by flight 8 hours with stopover in Bangkok. So you see, time is primary concern, not price. You should think logically.

Because you're a quality tourist, he is suggesting that you should be able to fly to London, Tokyo or NYC and do some shopping and get your tourist visa there and then fly back after a few weeks being a quality tourist. Not do land border crossings to save money... Since that's not what quality tourists do. He has a point and I agree with him! Why don't you just fly to hk and get your 2 months tourist visa there? Easy and quite cheap.

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[seancbk]

18 hours ago, AloisAmrein said:

19 hours ago, seancbk said:

If you are such a quality tourist why do you expect to enter Thailand on a visa free entry and why do you have to do your entries by land?

Try paying for a visa and flying in instead.

If price is your primary concern then what makes you a quality tourist?

 

Should I fly to Vientiane when I stay in Nong Khai or Udon Thani? By land 2 hours, by flight 8 hours with stopover in Bangkok. So you see, time is primary concern, not price. You should think logically.

A quality tourist is someone who comes here and stays in a 5 star hotel or resort for 2 weeks and spends a load of money dining and shopping.

I'm sure TAT does not consider someone who spends time in Nong Khai or Udon as a quality tourist.


 

[AloisAmrein]

16 hours ago, seancbk said:

A quality tourist is someone who comes here and stays in a 5 star hotel or resort for 2 weeks and spends a load of money dining and shopping.

I'm sure TAT does not consider someone who spends time in Nong Khai or Udon as a quality tourist.


 

 According to TAT, a quality tourist is a tourist with an income of 80'000 US$ or more per year, see immigration card. And what should I buy in Thailand? Coconuts or bananas? Or fake watches and similar rubbish? Thailand is not a good shopping place today, things are more expensive then in some European countries, e.g. computers, labtops, cameras, watches, etc. And no garantee in case of problems.