Visa
On-arrival tourist visa might be extended to allow 45 day stays
Thailand’s on-arrival tourist visa might be extended from 30 days to 45 days to lure more visitors. The extra 15 days added on would make up for the mandatory 2 week quarantine required for those entering the country.
National Security Council secretary general Nathapol Nakpanit, who leads a business easing committee, says the committee members plan to propose the idea to the government. The 45-day tourist visa would apply to visitors from the 56 countries already eligible for the 30-day on-arrival visa.
Don’t plan a trip just yet… Thailand isn’t allowing tourists to enter without a previously issued visa at the moment. The 2 main options for tourists are a 60-day tourist visa and the new Special Tourist Visa.
Thailand’s Special Tourist Visa was launched to make up for the losses following a 7 month-period without international tourist arrivals. The visa allows a 90 day stay that can be extended twice, adding up to about 9 months. The visa is usually limited to those travelling from “low risk countries.”
Recently, some Thai embassies started listing revised information for 60-day tourist visas. Check, check, check with your local embassy before planning a trip to Thailand.
SOURCE: TNA MCOT
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
A Tourism Authority of Thailand survey, conducted between January 10 – 12, indicates that more than a third of the country’s tourism-related businesses has already shut up shop and gone out of business. An enormous majority were begging for TAT and government assistance fearing that they are unable to hand on much longer.
1,884 tourism businesses in Thailand were surveyed about their situations and how they were coping with the long-term closure of the Thai borders and the local restrictions on travel.
The businesses were in the areas of accommodation, travel firms, restaurants, car and bike rentals and public transport businesses.
34.7% said they had already shut down or gone out of business.
That the TAT admit that more than a third of their front-line organisations have gone to the wall already is a big turn-around from the perennially optimistic tone and often cringe-worthy predictions. The TAT and the Thai Minister of Tourism and ports are now staring down the barrel of an industry, not only diminished, but changed forever after decades of stunning growth.
At the start of the week the Tourism and Sports Minister claimed that 10 million tourists would start arriving on Thailand’s shores from the middle of this year for the rest of 2021. Just 3 months ago he also predicted that domestic tourists would undertake some 10 million trips a month during the forthcoming high season (December to February).
With only hope to back up his speculative predictions, the Minister was hopeful the stimulus measures approved by Cabinet will boost tourism numbers and help off-set some of the economic devastation caused by the closure of Thailand’s international borders.
This week’s prediction was that tourists, foreign and local, would be spending 1.2 Trillion baht on the battered tourist industry during 2021. He failed to provide details about where these tourists would come from or where they would visit during their stays – stays that still have to begin with a 14 day mandatory quarantine.
The only good news is a further 65% of businesses that continue to struggle on, waiting to see how 2021 unfolds and the effect of the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines, that will allow countries to open borders and a greater level of travel freedoms once again.
The break out of a cluster of infections in the Samut Sakhon province, just south west of Bangkok, and now spread to the majority of other Thai provinces, on December 20, forced the government to restrict inter provincial travel. The not-quite-a-lockdown that followed severely dampened the travel plans of locals and foreigners inside Thailand over the traditional December/January holiday season. This week the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority loosened some of the earlier restrictions and allowed some formerly closed businesses to re-open.
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Security officers in Thailand’s 3 border districts are under strict orders to screen all cars at security checkpoints for illegal migrant smuggling. The orders come after the arrests of 3 Thais who allegedly smuggled illegal migrants into the country using their own cars, with all cases being linked to each other.
The smugglers tried to escape being detected by authorities as they used their own cars instead of the typical trucks that have historically alarmed police. One of the 3 drivers arrested was 44 year old Sasiphen Sillapachai, the wife of a tambon administration organisation official in Sangkhla Buri. 38 year old Prawit Kaewdam and 40 year old Atchara Chinsoranan were the others arrested.
Sasiphen was driving a car carrying 4 migrants when she was stopped in Thong Pha Phum on Friday. Prawit and Atchara were caught at a checkpoint in Sangkhla Buri on the same day following a search of their 2 Toyota Fortuner vehicles, one with 2 illegal migrant workers and the other with 1. All of the suspects confessed to being paid 14,000 baht each to smuggle the migrant workers.
The order applies to checkpoints in Sangkhla Buri, Thong Pha Phum and Sai Yok districts, and is focusing in particularly on the Ban Namkerk and Rantee bridge checkpoints in Sangkhla Buri.
Such smuggling of illegal migrant workers from Myanmar, where nearly 140,000 Covid-19 cases have been reported, has been blamed for setting off a 2nd wave of infections in Thailand, which has seen infections more than triple over the past five weeks since the pandemic began last year.
Smuggling gangs in Kanchanaburi and other border provinces have been aided by corrupt police, local officials and military officials who look the other way. But the Covid pandemic has forced the government of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to admit that the country has a serious problem that must be addressed.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Thailand’s opposition party members are preparing to provide evidence to back the charges being made against the government in an upcoming censure debate. The government is accused of policy-oriented corruption and of playing a part in structural conflicts. The allowance of illegal immigrants into the country and illegal gambling dens is expected to be discussed as it has been attributed to the 2nd wave of Covid-19 sweeping the nation.
Chief opposition whip Sutin Klungsang said the opposition parties have proof of wrongdoing that has played a part in damaging the country through mismanagement and hardship to the people. Sutin says more than 1 minister will be questioned.
“Several. At least seven.”
He says they will finalise who will be censured this week based on the information they have gathered, and says they will meet again on Sunday to discuss their debate strategy and time allocation.
The opposition camp is planning to introduce a “no-confidence” motion against the government tomorrow, marking the 2nd of its kind to ever be lodged.
Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the opposition Seri Ruam Thai Party and former police chief says his information will deliver a “serious blow” to the PM after he was criticised for saying “even a hundred prime ministers will not be able to rid Thailand of illegal gambling dens.”
“I made a crusade against illegal gambling dens long before I was the national police chief. What did the PM mean when he said things like that? Did they make the arrests or not? So, sit back and wait for the debate.”
He says he is not sure if Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon would be grilled in the upcoming debate, but named Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, PM and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Bunyamanee are among the targets.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
50,000 to be tested for Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon, 198 new infections reported in Thailand today
Asia’s biggest drug kingpin arrested in Netherlands
Czech ‘Covid’ sniffer dogs can detect Covid-19 with a 95% success rate
2 shot dead at Phuket Bus Terminal Saturday night
29 arrested in Pattaya for smoking shisha above Indian restaurant
Chonburi sees 0 new Covid-19 infections for 3 days in a row
Talk show king, Larry King, dies at 87 | VIDEO
Kanchanaburi police officer’s twin sons arrested for trafficking methamphetamines
Phuket lifts mandatory quarantine restrictions for ‘high risk’ arrivals. But were they ever applied?
More than a third of Thai tourism-related businesses closed down
Ring road collapses leaving at least 10 injured in Nakhon Ratchasima
Phuket national park officer fired over peeping Tom incident
Hong Kong partially locks down, forcing thousands to undergo Covid screening
Border districts screening cars for smuggling illegal migrants
Phuket wants Bangkok arrivals to skip quarantine to help tourism revenue
Australian man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing children in Thailand
Police raid Bangkok restaurant, more than 80 people face charges for violating Emergency Decree
Thailand News Today | Covid testing for visas, Business impact, Vaccine approval | January 19
UPDATE: Confusion over Covid-19 tests for visa extensions
Record number of tourism firms quitting Covid-ravaged sector for good
Covid-19 test NOT required for visa extensions (at least not today)
Man arrested for allegedly overstaying 60 day tourist visa by 7 years
Thailand News Today | Weekend Bangkok bombs, Thailand fires, Covid update | January 18
Security guard slaps student for displaying protest sign at Bangkok mall – VIDEO
Thailand’s tourism in the Covid 2021 era
AstraZeneca vaccine could be approved for emergency use in Thailand this week
Disease control measures ease up in Samut Sakhon
Australia might keep borders closed throughout 2021
Amnesty International condemns “shocking” 87-year sentence for lèse majesté offences
Man arrested for allegedly importing millions of fake designer sunglasses
Thailand News Today | Gambling crackdown, Seafood market to reopen, Vlogger challenge | Jan 21
Thailand News Today | Covid testing for visas, Business impact, Vaccine approval | January 19
Thailand News Today | Weekend Bangkok bombs, Thailand fires, Covid update | January 18
Thailand News Today | Stray car on runway, Indonesian quake, 300 baht tourist fee | January 15
Thailand News Today | Governor off respirator, sex-trafficking arrest, condo prices falling | January 14
Thailand News Today | Chinese vaccine, Thailand ‘drug hub’, Covid update | January 13
Thailand News Today | Bangkok may ease restrictions, Phuket bar curfew, Vaccine roll out | January 12
Thailand News Today | Covid latest, Cockfights closed down, Bryde’s Whale beached | January 11
Thailand News Today | Southern floods, Face mask fines, Thai Air Asia woes | January 8
Thailand News Today | 305 infections, No happy ending for massages, Phuket quarantine mooted | Jan 7
Thailand News Today | 10,000 schools closed, 900 new migrant infections, Gambling crackdown | January 6
Thailand News Today | PM reverses lockdown, Southern P.D.A. crackdown, Covid update | Jan 5
Thailand News Today | Record daily infections, Covid restrictions, British arrivals ‘on hold’ | Jan 4
Thailand News Today | Pattaya restrictions, 2021’s extra holidays, Covid update | December 30
Thailand News Today | Covid update, Bangkok restrictions, Gold rush | December 29
Politics3 days agoUS Ambassador to Thailand quits after Biden inaugurated
- Bangkok3 days ago
13 Bangkok businesses allowed to reopen tomorrow
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)3 days ago
Pattaya hotels take food to the streets in bid to survive
- Pattaya3 days ago
Pattaya cleaning up its Walking Street act in time for Chinese New Year
- Air Pollution3 days ago
Air pollution in Bangkok expected to get worse due to “cold spell”
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)3 days ago
50,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive in Thailand in early February, more ahead
- World3 days ago
US President Biden reverses Trump’s policies on first day of presidency
- Economy3 days ago
210 billion baht stimulus confirmed for “Rao Chana”
Andrew Finley
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 6:31 pm
I’ve just been rinsed for £1100 for asq,they best not stop that now aswell.
Issan John
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 6:42 pm
I think it’ll be a while!
Extending the 30 days to 45 makes sense – why not, even if it doesn’t make much difference?
preesy chepuce
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 9:18 pm
Why not 46 days? Why not 90 days? Why not 365 days? I mean, do these numbers relate to anything specific, or are they just arbitrary? Surely if you want to encourage visitors, you might want to make a warm welcome, and keep them spending?
Issan John
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:08 pm
You might indeed, preecy, but do the authorities really “want to encourage visitors”, or do they just want to kick the can a bit further down the road until there’s a viable alternative?
Ynwaps
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 12:57 pm
Because of nAtIoNaL sEcuRitY
preesy chepuce
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 9:22 pm
For that price, I’d demand some soap, and a happy ending.
Ronny
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 3:09 am
Add 14 days quarrantine when you return to your home country as well.
No holiday incentive here.
Les
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 7:13 pm
Next,How about 100b per night at 5 star ASQ?
Peter
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 7:27 pm
Let’s take a 6 week holiday and spend a third of it getting trays of food delivered to our doors and stare at a brick wall for the rest of the time.
Then let’s go to the holiday hotspots that have tumbleweed blowing through them with many tourist businesses shut.
I know your not the brightest John but this is plumbing new depths of stupidity even for you.
Quarantine = zero tourists.
preesy chepuce
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 9:20 pm
I can’t believe how shi’ite the food was at ASQ… I mean, a country, world famous for interesting cuisine, is serving the weirdest most inedible portions of vomitsome fruity salad, when all we want is a box of non-Thai beer, a hot Thai girl, and some tasty food.
Wayno
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 9:24 pm
Bang on Peter, especially your comments regarding the self proclaimed oracle from Issan
Issan John
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:35 pm
Feel free to answer the question, Peter:
“Extending the 30 days to 45 makes sense – why not, even if it doesn’t make much difference?”
Hardly difficult, but I suppose it’s all comparative.
Peter N
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 7:39 pm
Just more desperation, if a 90 day visa (extendable to 270) was a failure, why do they think a 45 day visa would work? it WON’T. The vast majority of tourists do no want to spend a significant period of their vacation in quarantine, when that changes, they will travel.
EdwardV
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8:43 pm
The fact most people can’t take 45 days of vacation at any one time aside. You would still be giving up one third of your vacation days to quarantine, not a good deal in any book. Fact is most would look at it as two weeks of vacation that could be spent on the beach somewhere else. Even so the extension itself is long overdue.
Jack Sombra
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8:45 pm
Old news already, real news is Cabinet just approved STV’s for all countrys. Makes the exemption and normal tourist visa (TR) pointless. Same hassle and requirements for all 3, but 45 (+30) days, 60 (+30) days vs 180 days (+30) for extra 1000thb.
Issan John
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Not really sure why that’s “real news” either.
It’s not going to make any “real” difference because the only people who can make any “real” difference are those developing vaccines and tests – anyone who thinks otherwise is conspicuous only by their inability to come up with any alternative solutions that wouldn’t make things considerably worse.
Jack Sombra
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8:48 pm
Actually 260 days for STV
Prayut Chan-o-cha
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 8:56 pm
What will be their next brain fart?
Fahad
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:16 pm
Nur Fahad
Can I visit Thailand in April 2021?(without a quarantine)
Love from Sweden
Fizz
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:30 pm
How about a beach asq ?
Mike Frenchie
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:44 pm
With a 15 days quarantine – nobody will come for 30-45 or 90 days… wondering why these top shots do not try a quarantine first? Dilutional World class level!
Bankruptcies are already all around the touristic area, saw a movie of a part of Pattaya this morning… a ghost town!
Hanskarl
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 10:58 pm
Thailand is very inventive. As long as there has been corona in many countries,
because of covid nobody can travel. And when you can travel again, very few will travel.
Thailand will have to be happy when a few come. And nobody comes in quarantine for 2 weeks to Thailand. Why do I have to quarantine when I live in my one house in Thailand?
No vacations, no investments.
Hanskarl
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:03 pm
Thailand doesn’t make it easy. As long as there has been corona in many countries,
because of covid nobody can travel. And when you can travel again, very few will travel.
And nobody comes in quarantine for 2 weeks to Thailand.
Why do I have to quarantine when I live in my one house in Thailand?
No vacations, no investments.
Issan John
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:04 pm
Of course “it WON’T work”, in my view also – as I’d thought I’d made pretty clear when I wrote “why not, even if it doesn’t make much difference?”
Nothing will “work” until first the borders can be opened safely without risking going down the same route as the West, which would be courting disaster, and then the global economy starts to recover.
None of that’s going to happen soon.
There’s no denying that the succession of “brain farts” is getting nowhere, but so far none of the bright sparks here have come up with anything other than whingeing and neither have any of the genuine experts from the hospitality industry – the latter’s disappointing, but the former’s hardly a surprise.
Robert
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:13 pm
why not redefine the quarantine zone to an entire island and restrict them from visiting the mainland?
Islands such as Phuket, Kho Samui, Phi Phi Island, etc. would allow for millions of tourists to return and start buying Thai products and services, whilst allowing the majority of the Thai population to stay away if they are uncomfortable.
Issan John
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 3:56 pm
Suggested with the Phuket model – rejected because Thais in Phuket were also “uncomfortable”.
2float2
Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 11:37 pm
Cov19 in eu, us etc is very bad, but only for the old fat and sick, not for everyone.
Life is never save.
So the whole quarantine, closed borders etc is crazy. We must say that now since the crazy f*** of the white house is defeated, people got to get reasonable and live, as life is precious, and the jailing in solitary con INSANE.
Issan John
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 4:06 pm
Yup, “INSANE” ….. why can’t the “old fat and sick” Thais just be happy to get sick and die so that foreigners can come here and have a holiday … selfish bar-stewards! 🙂 🙂
Greg Chapman
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 1:01 am
My friend staying in an ASQ hotel in Pattaya has just phoned me, Yes … the food is complete and utter shite, 9 days already and not one hot meal!. the breakfast are the worst, those vile frankfurters,semi cooked fatty bacon and choice of eggs, either omelette,scrambled egg (cut up omelette) or stone cold fried eggs. Total cost of each meal
would be about B60 less than B200 per day,a total rip off, hardly anyone speaks English and the only helpful member of staff is a Filipina.
Just one query I have about the entry requirements for Thailand .. what is the point of having to obtain a “Fit to Fly Doctor’s letter” ?. A Covid test I understand but a doctor’s letter is meaningless. At the Covid testing clinic the doctor asks “are you fit, and are you on medication ? he does not have access to your medical records nor are you obliged to tell him the truth, so it’s really worthless yet Thailand insists on it(I don’t believe any other country does). How typical, they have to make everything so unnecessarily complicated
Glenn
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 8:48 am
welcome to Thailand > now get on the bus and we take you to CV jail > 2 weeks you pay!
55555! sum-num-na Thai govt. and frankly, sum-num-na Thai people too.
wake up and realize you have fallen for the biggest scam in the world and now you have to live with the consequences.
This is where critical thinking and accepting responsibility comes in – chok-dee
Alte Ledertasche
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 8:55 am
Rubbish..as long they insist on 14 day quarantine no genuine tourist wil come anyway.
Peter N
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 11:31 am
Some certainly will come, there are many people who have the good fortune to be financially independent and choose not to work a 9 to 5 job in their home country. Fortunately I need never do another days work in my life provided I don’t go crazy with my spending. For people in a similar position, 14 days quarantine wouldn’t present a problem for them if they wanted to winter out in Thailand, but the hoops you are expected to jump through certainly would. Personally 12+ hours sat in a virus incubator (aeroplane) would, and that does present a red line for me, maybe the vaccine will change that when it’s rolled out, but it’s by no means certain. Many questions remain to be answered about the vaccines, before Thailand will relax boarder controls to enable anything resembling easy passage.
Ynwaps
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Uhhh that is quite risky! Increasing visa from 30 days to 45 days? What is the National security council thinking!? What’s next? 90 day visas? How we can keep Thailand secure if westerners are staying here for more than 30 days?
Jesus Monroe
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 3:07 pm
Ah…..let me ask the boss for 2 extra weeks and ill get back to ya
Willem
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 4:25 pm
Why this article shows a picture of canadian passport. Canada is not on the list of countries who get a visa ip on arrival. Thailand is on the list for visa exemption. Or is it changed?