From March 5 until June, Thailand is waiving visa fees to help promote tourism, I guess the downturn in tourists is finally being realized by the powers that be.
http://www.tatnews.org/latest_update/detail.asp?id=4235
From March 5 until June, Thailand is waiving visa fees to help promote tourism, I guess the downturn in tourists is finally being realized by the powers that be.
http://www.tatnews.org/latest_update/detail.asp?id=4235
Life is sexually transmitted and terminal.
Since the nationals of 42 countries can enter Thailand without obtaining a visa (Tourist Visa Exemption) and stay for 30 days, I doubt it will effect that many people.
It might be of interest to some Indians or Russians who (I think) do need a visa, but if spending a few hundred baht for a visa is a major concernto someone, he's not likely to be a big spender once he gets here.
Precisely, X.Originally Posted by x in pattaya
A pointless exercise - even the Russian/East European peasants, who now make up the majority of foreign/non-Asian tourists, seem happy to pack out the immigration office and pay for a 7 or, at best, 15 day extension rather than waste time doing a visa run (and yes, I know some are "big-spenders", but the vast majority are anything but) .
Russia is one of the few countries outside Asean that now allows visa free access to Thai Nationals.(most Sawatdee readers require a visa to enter Russia-an expensive and often time consuming process)) The basis for this was reciprocity; Russian Nationals are allowed 15 days free access as a tourist in Thailand.
As the same 15 days also applies to the Chinese (and even the Taiwanese) I would imagine these new rules will have almost no impact as almost all other visitors have had Tourist Visa exemption for 15-30 days for a number of years.
Free visas - it's nearly as good as Gordon Brown's 2.5% reduction in VAT in the UK!
If you really want to promote tourism get the red shirt thugs to occupy the airport like the yellow shirted thugs did last Nov. But puhhleeze (and this is crucial) give us adequate notice so we can all get ourselves ensconced in a suitable establishment beforehand. Then with all costs being met by HM Gov't. I will quite happily as I did last year spend and spend.
Of course you would have to periodically lift the occupation (say for 24hrs) to let in more but not enough so as to let anyone out. You should also maintain U'tapau as the main international departure point but double the staff to 4.
REMEMBER not to let the buses loaded with tourists enter the precincts, make them walk from the check point or where the traffic jam of vehicles is the greatest (like last time) so that most will then make the best decision in their own interests and turn around and pay X000's of baht to just get the f**k outta there. AND (here is the brilliant vejavjivation*) you can then welome everyone back to their HM Gov't paid-for accommodation with reassurances about how lovely and wonderful they are to be soooo patient. As the numbers increase the tourists will continue to spend etc. Voila! you have a thriving and increasing internal tourist population 'trapped' in the land of cum & honey forced to draw down overseas funds to have a wonderful time.
Task accomplished.
*vejavjivation - NOUN - verbally proctic legerdemain while lookin' pretty 'n talkin' pretty.
It absolutely baffles me as to what "silly" measures are taken to increase tourism, or any matter to increase in any subject. I can detail better ideas to increase tourism than what has been done, only a few weeks ago, so many million bht was being pumped into the advertising sector to promote Thailand, I wonder if that has has been done, it certainly hasn't worked. To put my money where my mouth is, they could save all this money, visa fee exemption, advertising in various formats and advertise in various countries that air fares be reduced by 20%, and pump the money into that, that would encourage people to visit I'm sure.
A tingtong poster reported that on arrival yesterday he got a 60 day stamp. Lets see if anyone else reports same same. Would be a popular move i think.
Oogleman, I don't think 60 day visas would "do it" either. Generally, they are after "tourists" who spend money by the bucket in a space of say 2-3 weeks, it would make no difference to the general tourist, it would only benefit the visa hoppers.
As children we get to learn and enjoy the fables and fairy tales that we can fondly recall. Some are ancient others are more distinctly modern and often culturally grounded.
It seems to me that there is at least one tale that clearly has never been properly related to Thai children concerning the тАЬGolden GooseтАЭ. The lesson quite simply is that you should never kill the goose that lays golden eggs.
The result of such an omission is for Thai to consider that you must always squeeze harder and harder for every satang on each and every transaction тАУ if sales fall then put the prices up, if there is a global downturn then do not think too much about it and if some Farang tries to negotiate a price then the default position should generally be a resounding тАЬmai daiтАЭ тАУ can not, but with a smile!.
It is extremely difficult for the Thai authorities to ever consider that they have made a mistake e.g., capital 30% demands to be held by BOT, the Elite card etc. Maybe, just maybe this move on visas is a reflection on the absolute need for the economy to secure long term hard currency flows and an according relaxation in what was becoming an ever increasingly time consuming process for those both working here and visiting - I personally hope so.
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