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1 year free visa for Chinese and Indian tourists to be proposed to cabinet

webfact

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webfact Grand Master Member

webfact

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Cabinet to be asked to consider exempting entry visa for Chinese, Indian tourists

By The Nation

 

800_aebfd55e3bf2437.jpeg?v=1565844240

Phiphat Ratchakitprasarn

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprasarn said he would ask the Cabinet to consider exempting Chinese and Indian tourists from an entry visa for a year to boost tourism.

 

Phiphat said he has discussed the measure with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and the two agreed with it in principle.

 

Phiphat said he would submit the proposal to the Council of Economic Ministers for endorsement and then send it to the Cabinet for approval before the end of this month.

 

The measure would allow tourists from China and India to stay in Thailand without a visa for 15 days. The exemption period would begin on November 1 and run through October 31 next year.

 

Phiphat said the measure would help maintain some 11 million Chinese tourists, who might be affected by the appreciation of the yuan.

 

He added that the measure would draw some 2 million Chinese tourists to visit Thailand this year and 3 million next year.

 

The tourism minister said he would also ask the Cabinet to extend the waiving of Bt2,000 visa fee for tourists from 19 countries for another year. The visa fee waiver is scheduled to expire at the end of October.

 

Wichit Prakorbkosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, expressed support for the no-entry visa measure, saying it would encourage more Indian tourists to visit Thailand while maintaining the number of tourists from China.

 

“The Indian tourism market is seen as interesting by the private sector. Several Asean countries are our competitors for the market, including Malaysia and Singapore,” Wichit said.

 

“A lot of Indians visit Malaysia. Without a stimulus, we will definitely lose the Indian tourists.“

 

Supawan Thanomkiartphum, president of the Thai Hotels Association, also expressed support for the measure, adding that she would prefer that the government not set a time frame but use it indefinitely.

 

“I would like it to be used continually in the same way as Japan exempts Thais from an entry visa. The exemption has been in place since the middle of 2013,” Supawan said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30374790

 

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-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-15
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Mavideol Ruby Member

Mavideol

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4 hours ago, lkv said:

As a matter of fact, what we need to realise, is that Visa On Arrival has been fee exempt for a year already.

 

It's free now, as we speak, until Oct 31. And they want to extend it for another year, starting Nov 1st.

 

Meanwhile, tourism from China is plummeting, even with the free entry.

TAT is trying anything and everything to cover up their bad forecasts .... 6 "rich" Chinese were having lunch half hour ago, sitting at the park 2 bags of peanuts, 2 bags of pistachios 3 bottles of water

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sirineou Star Member

sirineou

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2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

You are talking about a nation whose people haggle over the price of a bottle of water.

If that is the case (and I am not saying it is not)  how would increasing their numbers be a positive?

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Bangkok Barry Diamond Member

Bangkok Barry

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3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

If that is the case (and I am not saying it is not)  how would increasing their numbers be a positive?

 

You're looking for logic? :cheesy: They are probably hoping to attract high-end tourists, but high-end tourists do not come to a country that has poor infrastructure, sour attitude, first world prices for third world service, mafia-led taxi services in main tourist areas whether they be in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui etc.

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keith101 Gold Member

keith101

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11 minutes ago, grego49 said:

And 1 ladyboy,,,

And one hotel room and one bar girl without her consent mostly hear about it a lot these poor Indians coming to LOS and needing to share everything because they don't have enough money another reason why they are not being allowed entry at airports .

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Traubert Gold Member

Traubert

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37 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

TAT is trying anything and everything to cover up their bad forecasts .... 6 "rich" Chinese were having lunch half hour ago, sitting at the park 2 bags of peanuts, 2 bags of pistachios 3 bottles of water

But wait!! All the Chinese come on cheap package tours and follow the flag everywhere, right? Were these six rebels? Are these the same ones you saw queueing outside the 7/11 for cheap noodles, showing rare good manners by forming a queue? Can we buy one of these Chinese spotters you have or is it an app we can download?

 

I can tell you straight. 6 Chinese will not be satisfied with nuts and water for lunch. Say what you like about them but man, they can eat.

 

If you're going to make stuff up at least try to include some credibility.

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WinnieTheKhwai Star Member

WinnieTheKhwai

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7 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

If people can travel just because they save on a cheap visa they probably shouldnt be traveling at all. Are these douches in charge of this crap mentally retarded?

 

It's not the money, because fees (for Chinese) were already waved.   However the more significant part is the peace of mind knowing that upon arrival you're not spending 1 hour in line and applying for a visa, hoping that all your paperwork is in order.   Yes, tourists from non-Western countries do worry about this a lot.  So having all of this off their backs is a huge improvement.   And as fees were waved anyway, it only created pointless paperwork for immigration officials.

 

5 hours ago, Emdog said:

At risk of sounding like clueless newbie (I'm a clueless oldie), why not just make it fee free visa for all nationalities for 15 days or less?

 

Because there would be no end to the whining and racism on this forum about all the Africans and Bangladeshis all over Thailand.

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Caldera Platinum Member

Caldera

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Nothing really new then, they will just extend waiving the fee by another year. That should convince even the last Indian millionaire that Thailand is well worth a visit!

 

If they had extended the visa exempt scheme to those countries, on the other hand, that would have been big.

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JWRC Advanced Member

JWRC

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4 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Sure, but only after you explain Thailand's frequent use of the the term "high quality tourists/foreigners". 

 

Low quality should be whatever the former isn't. ????

I did not make up the phase high quality tourists/foreigners, so I don't feel the need to explain anything. The request for an explanation was from a phase you concocted so I was wondering what you actually meant by a low quality person, Is it their skin colour, shape of eyes, country of origin, or merely lack of funds? or something else?

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WinnieTheKhwai Star Member

WinnieTheKhwai

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28 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Nothing really new then, they will just extend waiving the fee by another year. That should convince even the last Indian millionaire that Thailand is well worth a visit!

 

If they had extended the visa exempt scheme to those countries, on the other hand, that would have been big.

 

This is a puzzling comment, because visa exemptions for stays up to 15 days is exactly what is proposed.   (So that means no more stress and time wasting after landing to apply for a VOA for people from those countries.  

 

28 minutes ago, Captain 776 said:

Time to consider alternative living locations.......add up all the recent changes = big ZERO

 

Yes please. ????     THe comment makes no sense in the current context...  so... you're leaving because there are people from two countries who will move from a 15 day visa-on-arrival to a 15 day visa exemption.  And this while you and all others from your country enjoy visa-free exemptions for twice that long.   Mmmmkay!

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emptypockets Gold Member

emptypockets

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4 hours ago, Deli said:

Go to Patty and uou will see it, as I did. 3 guys with 1 bottle and 3 glasses

Very sensible way to ensure the beer you are drinking is cold. Nothing worse than having a nice cold beer and then having a second one from the same bottle that is now a lot warmer.

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taxin Silver Member

taxin

Posted
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7 hours ago, lkv said:

I see people insinuating 64 dollars is not a lot of money for a 15 day permission of stay (to spend further money, that is).

 

So a couple forks out 128 dollars.

 

A family of four 256 dollars.

 

For maximum 15 days, realistically 7 to 10 more likely.

 

It is probably one of the most expensive visa fees worldwide, given the duration, not kidding.

 

A 10 year US visa is 160 dollars, for example, if I am not mistaken.

 

In comparisson, a 6 month Thai tourist visa (METV), costs 200 dollars.

As the visa fee is the only amount of money the Indians will actually spend (with exception of their flight & accommodation), it should be double. If they want the rich Indians in and the low class ones out, charge 5,000 Visa fee instead of 2,000. Job done.

 

As previously stated, this will merely create more immigration problems when they start staying long term and fail to follow the rules, as the typical farang will be tarred with the same brush as the Indians. I would rather be in the same bracket as a Burmese or Cambodian, rather than an Indian.

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NoshowJones Star Member

NoshowJones

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7 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

It's certainly true. Thailand needs more wanke_s.

I have just left Bangkok today, and everywhere I have been, I have hardly seen any white westerners, Plenty of Indians, Africans, Chinese etc.

 

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Pilotman Ruby Member

Pilotman

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9 hours ago, sirineou said:

 2000 bht =$64

I don't mean to sound condescending and every litle bit helps, but any tourist who would make a vacation decision on $64 usd savings........

when some morons will travel on a poor low cost airline to save $10 on a flight ticket, the answer is yes. people are that stupid and gullible.  

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fforest1 Silver Member

fforest1

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20 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I have just left Bangkok today, and everywhere I have been, I have hardly seen any white westerners, Plenty of Indians, Africans, Chinese etc.

 

Thailand needs more Honkys.......Go to walking street at night,Honkys are in very short supply... Westerners should be listed as a endangered species....

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ThomasThBKK Silver Member

ThomasThBKK

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1 hour ago, fforest1 said:

Thailand needs more Honkys.......Go to walking street at night,Honkys are in very short supply... Westerners should be listed as a endangered species....

Yes of course, it's eid holiday. The time when muslims have holiday and travel. Singapore, UAE, Malaysia etc all public holidays. 

 

My friends from KL are all doing holiday in Thailand this week. 

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ousaou Newbie

ousaou

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The main reason why the main land Chinese are coming less to Thailand is the problems between China and the US. Even though the Chinese government statistics are questionable, the Chinese GDP is around 2%, the lowest in years. The Chinese currency is devalued to counteract the US tariffs. Last the unemployment is up. China is been hurt by the US.

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