Does anyone know if this will apply to Non-Imm O multi-entry visas from, say, Birmingham UK?
Usually about ninety quid a pop.
I didn't bother to renew my last one and have been coming and going on 30-day satmps without comment.
If not, it's a trivial concession: as someone else said, hardly anyone who is a genuine 'tourist' needs the ordinary tourist visa anyway. They just come in on the 30-day.
0
Free Tourist Visas Between June 25, 2009 And March 2010
Started by george, 2009-06-24 11:33
#27
Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:10:17
Its True i got free Visa from Abu Dhabi .and going to thai on AUG.
#28
Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:11:19
Last month went to Vientiane, Laos and have a 2 entries visa free.
#29
Newbie Posted 2009-06-24 12:12:38
it will boom the thailand traffic ..
or u can say its good step for thai tourism industry #30
Platinum Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:13:19
I would have thought that most of the tourist types they are trying to attract, the ones that might stay in a top notch hotel and actually spend some serious money, wouldn't need a tourist visa anyway. yeah. quite how the thai government thinks that this initiative is going to lead to a jump in the number of couples and families spending their two week holidays on phuket or samui is a source of bafflement. #31
Newbie Posted 2009-06-24 12:13:54
anyone know what will happen with double entry? this applies to single, but what if want double? pay for one or pay for 2? same deal...free (plus your visa extension fees if you choose to stay longer than two months on an entry). I went up to Vientiane last month and received a free double entry. At the recommendation of others applying I actually wrote "Double" right on the application form. When I handed it to the Thai consulate staff, they circled my "double" and also wrote double directly on the form. Seems they are happy to give these out in Laos. But if you're going to the Vientiane consulate, though, get there early. I arrived at 7 am and I was already 34th in line. By 830 when they opened the gate there were over 300 people waiting! I'm not kidding - last ticket number I saw on my way out was 368! As you can imagine the numbering process wasn't exactly smooth. The consulate actually had a staffer standing next to a ticket machine pushing the button for every person in line...slooooooooooooooow. While you wait for the gate to open, there's a little shack-shop down the street (not the shop directly across from the consulate) and they serve HUGE baguettes and eggs with a mean dark cup of coffee. Nice way to start the consulate wait. #32
Senior Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:14:50
dont knock it. its a start, sort of over a beer think plan idea, ok exclude the beer that leads to creative thinking. anybody spotted a cohesive plan?
#33
Newbie Posted 2009-06-24 12:15:05
yeah, i agree, it is something. It will certainly allow all the whiners who complain about the 14-day entry visa (which is a load of crap) time to focus on something else to bitch about.
It may not boost new tourism, as someone mentioned, but it will keep the people coming back that are on a long gap-year or backpacking journey. Which is probably not the kind of tourists the TAT is looking for anyway. Edited by rilly, 2009-06-24 12:18:13. #34
Advanced Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:16:01
What is particularly ironic is that many (most?) of the graduates of Thai business schools study marketing. Does the concept of 'know your customer' have any meaning to these folks at all. What this really demonstrates is how little the management of Thai Tourism understands it's customers. I guess they have their jobs because of who they know and competence doesn't enter into it. Obviously.... It's a common concept in Thailand. It's called 'know who' and not 'know how'. 
#35
Super Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:16:10
I've just heard it on the BBC News. There are queues ten miles long outside the Thai Consulate in London. Apparently there was a mad scramble involving thousands of people, all desperate to get their free visas before the consulate runs out of rubber stamp ink. Major employers in London are complaining that their offices are unmanned as the stampede for visas reches crisis proportions. Riots and mayhem on the streets are feared. The Home Secretary is considering mobilising the Home Guard to restore order to the capital See there, its a GREAT idea!!! Good thing the authorities didn't just give a 60 or 90 day Visa Exemption stamp on entry. A complex system like that would never work 
#36
Ducati Acolyte Posted 2009-06-24 12:16:55
A free tourist visa may not solve all the tourism woes, but I'll take one. It is a lot better than a poke in the eye  . You don't get much else free from the Thai government.You do get a bit more Al, for starters free xenophobia, actually buckets of it.
#37
Senior Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:17:30
sweet! will be going to get a tourist visa in Laos next week! at the moment there is still a fee at the laos embassy, because the ambassador has not yet given the orders for this to be done at the thai embassy lao's. still waiting for the confirmation from them. #38
Mentally Challenged Wiener Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:19:15
No comment on the depth of stupidity. However, I came back to Thailand three days ago with a multiple entry visa which doesn't expire until Dec. 09. The girl at the airport stamped me with a 30 day visa and departure date. Is that something new? Before, they would stamp it good for a year from my re-entry date. I didn't say anything at the time for a lot of reasons. One being, it could have escalated into an international incident given my state of mind. At least I have one. She looked like the product of in-breeding which she probably was.
Edited by Shotime, 2009-06-24 12:22:17. #39
My Member has no Title Posted 2009-06-24 12:19:33
the mechanic said that he couldn't fix the brakes.... so he fitted a louder horn...
#40
Advanced Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:19:42
Wonder if we farangs will receive discounts on som tom as well?!? A more direct measure to help local economy - similar to VAT - would be to refund the 'bar fine' for a period (at seven-eleven and limited to 4 receipts each day?) Oh no: between the periods... #41
Advanced Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:24:34
I must be 'asleep at the wheel'??? What is this free crapola? You get a free 30 day upon arrival anyway. I have lived here 10 years and have a retirement visa, but this announcement is as useless as that so-called Thaksin 'special priviledge' card at a million baht or something like that.......what a total rip-off. This country is run by a bunch of Monkeys.......the only problem is that they don't get paid enough bananas and peanuts, and therefore do not get the job done..............getting the baht back up to near 40 to 1 on the dollar would stimulate more spending, me thinks? Would also help exports. The BOT is trying to stay in line with China.........Thailand 'ain't' no China!!! I must have failed 3rd grade math, but doesn't it make more sense that I would be spending around 160,000 per month instead of 120,000 per month, with a weaker baht???? Tum Dee Die Dee, Tum Chua Die Chua.................
#42
Super Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:29:17
Free tourist visas between June 25, 2009 and March 2010 BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Continuing its efforts to expedite the revival of the Thai travel and tourism industry, the Royal Thai government has agreed to exempt the fee for tourist visa applications, effective 25 June 2009 to March 2010. All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates-General worldwide will be exempted from tourist visa fee from 25 June 2009 to March B.E.2553 (2010). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa single entry only. -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok 2009-06-24 Is it allowed to shed my serious doubts about this? Most tourist coming over from Europe, and I guess from most other destinations, will stay here for maybe 2-3 weeks, max. No visa needed! They can stay here for 15/30/60 days without any visa application. Maybe it is time for the Thai Government to start thinking different. Maybe, just maybe, might it be possible to look upon the longer staying people not as "vermin" but as potential supporters of tourism? If they talk to friends and family abroad in a negative way, one can be rather certain that part of the negative vibrations will remain with the potential visitor? On the other hand, positive vibes can have a positive influence. And, lately, the longer staying crowd does not really have much reason to emit positive vibrations. Talking to a lot of other expats or looking in Thai Visa does not give one the idea of radiant vibrations. #43
Newbie Posted 2009-06-24 12:31:22
What do you do if a consulate says that they dont know anything about this free tourist visa and ask you to pay??? As happened to me in Bali the last time the government said the tourist visa was for free.
Happened to a friend of mine aswell in Penang Malaysia , they just said to him NO there is no free visa you have to pay! Edited by Thara, 2009-06-24 12:39:43. #44
Senior Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:32:50
What kind of deluded idiots think that a free visa is the answer to the revival of the tourist industry? The complete lack of thought process in government here never ceases to amaze me. I would be interested to know how effective the previous 'free visa' strategy was before... any figures out there? Secondly, it is not a strategy, but a nice gesture And lastly, do you really interested in stats?  Get real. Let the government do its job. Otherwise, someone will tell that they do nothing.
#45
Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:33:26
Need to see the numbers - this initiative on its own may spur very little impulse travel or cause people to change decisions - but China & India passport holders need to pay around 1000Baht or so on arrival/person if applying on arrival, or about the same via Thai embassy in their respective countries.
This together with the low flight fares, may help the travel agents - market packages. (or they may collect the visa fees anyway under some other charge). Some airlines are offering rock bottom rates to Bangkok - this combined with visa waivers - could spur some incentive/group travel... but definitely of no value to Visa Waiver countries (Singapore, Japan... Europe etc...). May also help some middle eastern countries. #46
Advanced Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:34:19
anyone know what will happen with double entry? this applies to single, but what if want double? pay for one or pay for 2? buy one ,get one free! hahahaha, thai marketing should be like that in the best case 
#47
Senior Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:34:45
I really don't see the point of this. Do they seriously think that by issuing free tourist visas it is going to increase the number of tourists coming to Thailand? Firstly, how would any potential tourists even know that the visa was free until they went to apply for one. It's not as though the news of this wonderful freebie is going to be plastered all over the press, radio and TV. And secondly, once they goe to apply for said visa, they have probably already booked their holiday or their flight, so the fact that it is free will no no way influence their decision to come here. If this is the best idea they can come with to boost tourism, then they are in for a lean time in the coming months. 'PONG', you're missing the 'PING' ! You sign off with: "Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace." — Buddha Better start practising what you're preaching . . . . or, from now on be known as Moby-DICK. Perhaps look at this free-visa-effort as something POSITIVE; and maybe it infers that the Thai Government is beginning to wake-up a bit to the needs of the country ?? Give them a chance; obviously your keepers gave you (more than) one ?!? JGK/Pattaya Agreed. Always amazes me how people decide to live in Thailand and then spend their time slagging the place off. A bloody idiot knows it's not going to save the tourism indusry but it's a positive step. #48
Newbie Posted 2009-06-24 12:35:28
My first post - but had to comment. The Thai Prime Minister was on BBC NEWS 24 yesterday and clearly stated that none of the events of this and last year had directly affected the tourist industry (like closing the airport, arresting tourists with arbitary offences and large fines, red-shirts here, yellow shirts there etc etc). What hope is there when a seemingly intelligent, educated man says this? Free Tourist visas? P****Ing in the wind yet again I'm afraid. Until these people learn to accept that they bear most of the responsibility for the fiasco that is now the Thai tourism industry, and not blame external influences completely for their own inadequacies, then there will be no improvement. I tis saddening to say many of my pals losing their shirts on bars and restaurants that should have a perfectly secure future, even in times of global downturns. The tourist industries of Phillippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia are also seeing a downturn, but not of the magnitude of here. Downtown Pattaya is a ghost town and getting worse. And the local mayor believes that going no a promtional tour to Mumbai will help matters - God help us all !
I really don't see the point of this. Do they seriously think that by issuing free tourist visas it is going to increase the number of tourists coming to Thailand? Firstly, how would any potential tourists even know that the visa was free until they went to apply for one. It's not as though the news of this wonderful freebie is going to be plastered all over the press, radio and TV. And secondly, once they goe to apply for said visa, they have probably already booked their holiday or their flight, so the fact that it is free will no no way influence their decision to come here. If this is the best idea they can come with to boost tourism, then they are in for a lean time in the coming months. 'PONG', you're missing the 'PING' ! You sign off with: "Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace." — Buddha Better start practising what you're preaching . . . . or, from now on be known as Moby-DICK. Perhaps look at this free-visa-effort as something POSITIVE; and maybe it infers that the Thai Government is beginning to wake-up a bit to the needs of the country ?? Give them a chance; obviously your keepers gave you (more than) one ?!? JGK/Pattaya #49
Admin Posted 2009-06-24 12:36:11
Lets sit down and wait until it is mentioned on this web site www.tourismthailand.org/
and their news letter respectively.
#50
Member Posted 2009-06-24 12:37:03
Free tourist visas between June 25, 2009 and March 2010 BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- Continuing its efforts to expedite the revival of the Thai travel and tourism industry, the Royal Thai government has agreed to exempt the fee for tourist visa applications, effective 25 June 2009 to March 2010. All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulates-General worldwide will be exempted from tourist visa fee from 25 June 2009 to March B.E.2553 (2010). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa single entry only. -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok 2009-06-24  LARRY-MOE & CURLEY could have done a better job of ruin/running this country !!! yawn zzzzz....
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