Reporter: RonnyLatYa
An article appeared in the Bangkok Post yesterday stating that there are plans to reduce the Visa exemption back to 30 days.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the Foreign Ministry had discussed the issue, as the current extension to 60 days would lead to more illegal work and business. In principle, the parties involved would agree to reduce the Visa Exemption to 30 days, but added that no decision had been made on this yet and that additional details still needed to be discussed.
That article may cause some concern among TB readers, but as the Minister says, it is not yet something that has been definitively decided and the details still need to be discussed.
He doesn't say what details, but personally I might think of something like:
- Bring back the Visa exemption only for the countries that were recently added and will it remain 60 days for the others?
- Impose a limitation on the number of Visa exemptions in number and time. For example, back to a 90 day stay on Visa exemption per period of 180 days?
- Will the introduction of the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) be implemented faster? (Currently postponed)
- etc ..
I understand that some readers may now have questions or concerns about what this means for their (immediate) future.
For the average tourist who is going to spend his annual leave in Thailand this will ultimately have little consequences because he usually stays less than 30 days. And for those who do stay a bit longer than those 30 days the extension of 30 days also remains of course.
But there is currently no reason to assume that this will be introduced in the short term.
Nor is it clear whether it will be introduced and what the possible consequences will be for travelers from the Netherlands and Belgium.
I will continue to follow this and will keep you informed when there is more official news about it.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2981803/visa-free-stay-in-thailand-to-be-cut-to-30-days
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Note: “Reactions are very welcome on the subject, but limit yourself here to the subject of this “TB Immigration Infobrief. If you have other questions, if you would like to see a topic covered, or if you have information for the readers, you can always send it to the editors. Only use www.thailandblog.nl/contact/ for this. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation”.
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Will it all be official again, just like old times, a visa run day, not really a problem right?
That will all depend on the details that still need to be discussed.
If it were to be decided to reintroduce the 30 days, this does not mean that the old arrangement would simply be returned to.
And now, I booked 3 weeks ago for 56 days.
Even if it were to be 30 days, which has not yet been decided, you can still extend it for another 30 days.
If you don't get any annoying questions when checking in.
You may be refused entry if you do not have the correct visa.
I would recommend applying for a 2 month visa now
Just to be sure.
In that case, make sure you have proof that you will leave Thailand within 30 days, just like before. You have to check with your company at that time if that is necessary.
By the way, apply for a visa now? He has booked but that does not mean that he will leave within 3 months. When he goes he does not say only how long.
Nothing says that when he goes that will be in effect.
Just wait and see instead of arranging everything as if it is already in effect.
I assume that going back to 30 days has yet to be decided and then confirmed in the Royal Gazette?
That will take some time.
But avoid all the 'maybes' for peace of mind? Just go for a 2 month visa.
Even if it's just for the airline check-in desk lady at Schiphol.
Plus you don't have to go through the hassle of a one day visa run.
Otherwise you must book your return flight within thirty days, and then change your return flight with the airline to a longer period while in Thailand.
All costs. Just do a 60 day thing.
It says that nothing has been decided yet and that the details still need to be discussed...
As long as nothing has been decided, there is no point in applying for a visa. Can only be applied for a maximum of 2 months before departure because it only has a validity period of 3 months.
“You must apply for an e-Visa at least 1 month before your intended travel date BUT no longer than 2 months because most visas have 60 – 90 days' validity starting from the date of issuance.”
https://hague.thaiembassy.org/th/publicservice/e-visa-general-conditions
Let everyone just wait and see if it will actually go ahead and whether that will also apply to countries like the Netherlands and Belgium.
For the average tourist it won't make much difference, as they rarely stay longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
Nor is it intended for short business visits, and visa exempt is not intended for any other visits, so in that respect it is an excellent measure.
The extension from 30 to 60 days was intended to entice tourists to stay longer, and it was already predictable that it would not work that way.
A tourist who wanted to stay longer had no problem purchasing a 60-day visa and this measure only attracted improper use.
So it is a very logical step to reverse this.
Indeed, as I said, this will ultimately have little impact on the average tourist who is going to spend his annual leave in Thailand.
A solution as far as I'm concerned.
Let those 60 days remain and limit the Visa exemption for everyone in number and time. As was actually also in force before (but was hardly applied) i.e. max 90 days on 180 days, or you can get max 1 Visa exemption per 120 or 180 days or something. If you want, a visa is required.
To check this, one can consider the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization).
This has now been postponed because they first want to introduce the TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card).
In itself, the TDAC is not that important, because the paper TM6 has also been suspended for a year for arrivals via Air.
But they also want to link that tourist tax to that TDAC, then you're talking about something else of course, because that brings in. I don't see it happening before May 1st, but you never know of course.
As for that tourist tax, I think it could be made simpler.
Add that for Visa Exemption to the ETA, for visa holders to the visa and for extensions to the re-entry and that will solve the problem.
What people don't think about as much when it comes to the increase in illegal work, for example, is the introduction of the DTV, for example, with the reason "Thai soft power related activities" such as muaythai, Thai cooking courses, etc. Apparently it is sufficient to register for those courses and you will receive a DTV for 5 years with which you can stay in Thailand for 180 days at a time. Well...
That reminds me of the courses to learn the language and then a Non-ED was/is applied for and one could/can stay in Thailand for up to a year.
Sometimes people bring it all into their own hands, I think.