Search Results for: visa exemption

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Business people exemptions, road checkpoints, Phuket delay | October 6

    Thailand News Today | Business people exemptions, road checkpoints, Phuket delay | October 6

    Daily TV news on The Thaiger. Up to date information, delivered to you, free. Thai government considers easing restrictions for foreign business travellers The Thai government is considering further easing entry restrictions for foreign travellers coming to conduct business in the Kingdom. Up to date, around 11,000 businesspeople and work permit holders have been granted entry by the Centre for…

  • Visa InformationThis is how to apply to extend your visa in Bangkok 2024

    This is how to apply to extend your visa in Bangkok 2024

    Thailand’s visa extension procedure can seem complicated, especially given the frequently changing laws. But with our help, you’ll notice that extending your visa will be a simple process that will allow you to take advantage of all that the city has to offer without running afoul of the law. The Thaiger also offers to help you extend your visa! Before…

  • Visa InformationThe end of the visa amnesty – get your house in order

    The end of the visa amnesty – get your house in order

    Up to 500,000 foreigners are now thought to have been part of the Thai government’s visa amnesty which was introduced in April for foreigners, both on tourist and other visas, who were stuck in Thailand and unable to leave. Around the world, planes had been grounded and Thailand closed its borders at the time. Six months later, and following 2…

  • Covid-19 NewsGovernment tries, fails to clarify visa-on-arrival confusion

    Government tries, fails to clarify visa-on-arrival confusion

    After days of rumours, assertions and flip-flops, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry in a press briefing yesterday provided some much-needed clarity regarding visa-on-arrival (VOA) status for 18 countries and visa exemption for three countries with high infection rates of the Covid-19 coronavirus: they are cancelled. Cherdkiat Atthakor, director-general and spokesman of the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department says the cancellations are in place…

  • Tourism NewsVisa fee waiver to run until end of April

    Visa fee waiver to run until end of April

    The government will extend the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees for another six months to boost the number of foreign tourists entering the Kingdom. A government spokesperson announced on Tuesday (October 22) that the Cabinet had approved a six-month extension to the exemption until the end of April next year. The visa fee waiver was implemented in November last year and…

  • Thailand NewsThais most likely to abuse tourist visas in South Korea

    Thais most likely to abuse tourist visas in South Korea

    MONTAGE: TNews The South Korean Government reports that there are about 370,000 illegal immigrants in the country. Thais are the number one offenders as the highest number of illegal immigrants living and working in South Korea. The South Korean Ministry of Justice has revealed the official number of illegal immigrants living and working in South Korea is 370,889 illegal immigrants,…

  • Expats12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings

    12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings

    A new visa category is being proposed that could allow people to stay in the Kingdom for up to a year for medical treatments. The so-called “Medical Visa” (Non-MT) would visitors to stay for 12 months. The Thai deputy PM and health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that countries that will benefit are wealthy…

  • Tourism NewsProposal to offer 15 day visa-free travel to Chinese and Indian visitors steam-rolled

    Proposal to offer 15 day visa-free travel to Chinese and Indian visitors steam-rolled

    The new Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn’s proposal to provide 15 day visa-free travel to Chinese and Indian tourists, was steam-rolled yesterday by Cabinet. The cabinet resolved instead to extend the fee waiver on visas for visitors from China, India and other countries in the program. The program will now be extended beyond October 31 this year to…

  • Thai LifeImmigration officers asked to show leniency to foreigners applying for retirement & marriage visas

    Immigration officers asked to show leniency to foreigners applying for retirement & marriage visas

    Thai immigration say that they’re willing to show leniency to foreigners in the prickly subject of proving income when applying for retirement and marriage visas and extensions. Immigration chief Police Lieutenant General Surachete Hakparn acknowledges that some applicants may have difficulty in providing the now required 12 months worth of bank statements. Where this is the case Surachete has instructed…

  • Thailand NewsVisa-fee waiver for 21 countries as tourism slump sparks panic

    Visa-fee waiver for 21 countries as tourism slump sparks panic

    by Kat Chanwanpen Visitors from 21 countries are getting their visa-on-arrival fee waived for 60 days, starting December 1. Amid declining numbers of visitors, notably from China, a desperate Cabinet yesterday agreed to waive the 2,000 baht visa-on-arrival fee for tourists from 21 countries for 60 days to try and revive one of the main engines of economic growth. Meanwhile,…

  • Phuket NewsTourism operators suggest visa-fee waiver to counter cancelled bookings

    Tourism operators suggest visa-fee waiver to counter cancelled bookings

    As the cancellations of accommodation and tour bookings from Chinese tourists continue to rack up, local tourism operators are urging the Government to be pro-active in trying to restore confidence. Vichit Prakobkosol, the President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents is calling for the Thai government to waive visa fees in a bid to lure back the Chinese tourists.…

  • Thailand NewsVisa hassles for South African teachers

    Visa hassles for South African teachers

    PHOTO: Study Abroad By Eric Haeg According to an official announcement from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, citizens from South Africa, “are advised to apply for visa (sic.) at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in their respective countries if they do not reside in Malaysia.” This list also includes citizens of dozens of other African, Middle…

  • Phuket NewsSuperyacht crew visas slated for November

    Superyacht crew visas slated for November

    PHUKET: Special visas for foreign-flagged superyacht crew is expected to be rolled out by November, confirmed the Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul. The ‘new package’ for superyachts will include changes in law for visas, as well as tax exemptions, all timed to line up with an international superyacht show organized by the Ministry of Transport, explained Ms Kobkarn. “The…

  • Phuket NewsVisa, yacht-charter law changes necessary: Tourism Minister

    Visa, yacht-charter law changes necessary: Tourism Minister

    PHUKET: Changes in visa and chartering legislation to secure the island’s position as the top yachting destination in the region are necessary, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. “Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha wants to make Thailand a world-class hub for yachts and cruise boats in Southeast Asia – and…

  • Hua Hin NewsPhuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries

    Phuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries

    PHUKET: Phuket’s Chinese and Ukrainian tourists are now allowed an unlimited number of re-entries through the popular visa-run checkpoint at Khuan Don in Satun, on the Malaysian border. However, the same privilege has not been extended to foreigners who enter Thailand on “visa-exemption” status, the same form of entry that sparked the visa-run crackdown earlier this year, confirmed Col Peemadej…

  • Business NewsWork permit, visa proposals get positive response

    Work permit, visa proposals get positive response

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Work permit, visa proposals get positive response The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking has given an update on its proposals to amend the country’s visa and work-permit regulations, which it says have received a positive response –…

  • Business NewsVisa fees waived, more Chinese visitors expected | Thaiger

    Visa fees waived, more Chinese visitors expected

    PHUKET: Tourism operators serving visitors from Taiwan and mainland China have been advised to prepare for an influx of arrivals during an upcoming 90-day visa-fee exemption. In a bid to revitalize the tourism industry after the political crisis, the National Council for Peace and Order announced that visa fees would be waived for tourists from those markets. “Numerous Chinese from…

  • Thailand NewsHeavy new penalties for visa overstays from Aug 29

    Heavy new penalties for visa overstays from Aug 29

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Heavy new penalties await visa overstays The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Authorities will bar visitors who overstay their visas from returning to Thailand for between one year and a whole decade. The longer the overstay period, the longer will be the re-entry ban. Starting from…

  • Phuket NewsTourists on ‘walk-in’ visa entries to get 30-day extensions

    Tourists on ‘walk-in’ visa entries to get 30-day extensions

    PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket Immigration Office, Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij, has confirmed that his office has received an official order to begin issuing extensions of up to 30 days to foreigners who enter the country on visa-exemption status. The order, signed by Immigration Bureau Acting Commissioner Sakda Chuenpakdee, is to come into effect from August 29, said Col Sunchai.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket visa runs surge as expats scurry for legitimate stays

    Phuket visa runs surge as expats scurry for legitimate stays

    PHUKET: The ongoing crackdown on foreigners staying in Thailand by doing visa runs to re-enter the country on visa-exemption status has sparked a surge in the number of foreigners in Phuket travelling to Penang to obtain visas issued by the Royal Thai Consulate there. Preeyapan Adithepwarangkul, owner of KBV Visa Run, told the Phuket Gazette that demand for the Penang…

  • OpinionOn the run: Visa runs to stay a part of life despite crackdowns

    On the run: Visa runs to stay a part of life despite crackdowns

    PHUKET: Recent reports quoting Thai Immigration officials as saying that “visa runs” were a thing of the past have generated a great deal of interest and confusion in Thailand’s expat community. Yet this crackdown is little more than the latest in a long series of tweaks to Immigration policy that is unlikely to have any real impact on foreigners staying…

  • Phuket NewsTourist visa runs are not dead: Immigration boss

    Tourist visa runs are not dead: Immigration boss

    PHUKET: Tourists who can prove that they are genuinely staying only short-term while travelling in Thailand will be allowed to leave on “visa-runs” and re-enter the country, Immigration Commissioner Pharnu Kerdlarpphon confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “Genuine tourists are fine. All they have to do is prove to the immigration officer at the border checkpoint that they really are tourists…

  • Phuket NewsCrackdown banning ‘walk-in visa runs’ to begin August 13

    Crackdown banning ‘walk-in visa runs’ to begin August 13

    PHUKET: Foreigners will be allowed to continue to re-enter Thailand on three consecutive “walk-in” visas until August 12, Ranong Immigration Superintendent Ekkorn Bussababordin assured the Phuket Gazette today. The news follows the appearance of a formal notice posted on Bangkok Immigration’s website on May 8 stating that any persons who exit Thailand after completing a stay in the Kingdom on…

  • Phuket NewsVisa crackdown risks stranding Phuket expats in Myanmar

    Visa crackdown risks stranding Phuket expats in Myanmar

    PHUKET: Officials at Ranong Immigration today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that they are turning away any foreigners attempting to enter Thailand after using three consecutive “walk-in” visas. The news follows reports of immigration officers allegedly stopping Phuket expats on visa runs to Ranong from exiting the country. Ranong, nearly 400km north of Phuket, has for decades been a prime…

  • Phuket NewsNo more free visas for Phuket tourists and expats | Thaiger

    No more free visas for Phuket tourists and expats

    PHUKET: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, who oversees the Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates worldwide, today confirmed that visa fees will be levied for all visa classes from March 5, 2010. Tourist visas are valid for a 60 day-stay and may be extended at local Thai Immigration offices. Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category (free…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Immigration clarifies new visa rules

    Phuket Immigration clarifies new visa rules

    PHUKET CITY: At a press conference held late yesterday, Phuket Immigration confirmed that foreigners arriving without visas at any of Thailand’s non-airport immigration checkpoints will be granted permits-to-stay of only 15 days, half the former number. The conference was led by Phuket Immigration Superintendent Chanatpol Yongbunjerd, who also confirmed that the former rule limiting foreigners entering on “visa exemptions” from…

  • Thailand NewsThai Parliament gives EU deal thumbs up: Partnership set to soar

    Thai Parliament gives EU deal thumbs up: Partnership set to soar

    The Thai Parliament unanimously endorsed a framework agreement on the EU-Thailand Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), set to come into force within 30 days. In a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate, 612 votes supported the agreement. Thailand and the European Union (EU) originally signed the PCA on December 14, 2022, in Brussels, with former foreign…

  • Tourism NewsMother’s Day tourism in Thailand to generate 9.39 billion baht

    Mother’s Day tourism in Thailand to generate 9.39 billion baht

    Tourism income from 2.6 million domestic trips during the Mother’s Day holiday this year is expected to reach 9.39 billion baht, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). This figure shows a slight decline from the 9.58 billion baht revenue recorded during the back-to-back long holidays in July. TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool attributed the weaker projection for the Mother’s…

  • Thailand NewsThailand outbound travel takes a dive amid economic woes

    Thailand outbound travel takes a dive amid economic woes

    Thailand’s outbound travel market is facing a sharp decline, with consumer spending power plummeting and overseas holiday plans on hold. Charoen Wangananont, President of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), revealed in an exclusive interview with Krungthep Turakij that economic uncertainties have led many Thais to postpone international trips to avoid extra costs during these tough times. “We had initially…

  • Thailand NewsForeign minister: China’s banking giant to boost tech investment

    Foreign minister: China’s banking giant to boost tech investment

    Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sangiampongsa met with Ge Haijiao, Chairman of the Bank of China, on Wednesday, July 10, during his official visit to China. The meeting, held to bolster Thai-Chinese economic ties, saw the presence of Pongsarun Assawachaisophon, Deputy Secretary-General to the prime minister. In a strategic pitch, Maris extended an invitation to the Bank of China to…