Thread: Thai Immigration Introduces New 6 Month Multiple Entry Tourist Visa

The Thai propensity for sheer, utter, all enveloping incompetence truly knows no bounds.

There is no mention of this radical change to the visit visa system on their London embassy website at all. Nothing. Zilch. Da nada. Zero.

Over 700,000 Brits visit Thailand annually and Britain is one of Thailand's major trading partners in Europe yet here we have a new regime imposed in under a month's time and they haven't deemed it necessary to publicise the event in a country which historically has contributed to its annual GDP.

Unbelievable people and just so inept. Does it just resolve to laziness among a cadre of people whose careers are secured irrespective of their performances, do you think?

Err, who is whining? I'm merely pointing out the incoherence of a third world country and its chronic inability to organise and implement anything very well.

What are the requirements? What level of documentation is required? If income is a criterion can savings be used in lieu? Will provincial consulates be permitted to issue without reference to the embassy? If not, then what is the likely lead time? Can a foreign national apply for it in a country other than one of his residence? These questions are germane irrespective of the nationality of the person applying but to leave them unanswered some three weeks before the new regime is imposed does suggest a certain stupidity that only the Thai seem capable of.

What is your point of your weird little rant? Your league table illuminates nothing.

Whilst on the subject of Thai bone-headed stupidity, what other country in the third world would offer a multiple visit visa with the restriction that it is only available to those in employment when the aim is to boost tourism yet they have managed to exclude all European/Antipodean/American/South American " gap year " visitors from the category? And it is precisely this group which would most benefit from the MEVV whilst touring the region using Thailand as a natural base.

Surely, the dumbest folk on the planet.

Hey Tod, you got a league table for the! Har,har.

The restrictions and road blocks don't appear to be originating from the MFA that I can find. It is interesting all the thai consulates that posted the restriction have close financial requirements. I think at this time no one really knows the answer to your questions..

Personally I think it's gonna be a cluster fuck when it starts in 23 days.. Funny thing is, this program starts Nov 13, <- that's a friday! Anyone who does apply will hafta wait until monday to get their passport back.

We will see what's what on or most likely after the 13 when reports start to trickle in.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Whilst on the subject of Thai bone-headed stupidity, what other country in the third world would offer a multiple visit visa with the restriction that it is only available to those in employment when the aim is to boost tourism yet they have managed to exclude all European/Antipodean/American/South American " gap year " visitors from the category? And it is precisely this group which would most benefit from the MEVV whilst touring the region using Thailand as a natural base.

Surely, the dumbest folk on the planet.

Hey Tod, you got a league table for the! Har,har.

Thais are never logical. Two Thais can be talking on the phone for 1 hour and the organise a bbq for the weekend.

So what time is the bbq?
A: Oh I didnt ask

Originally Posted by baldrick

it is sounding more retarded as the days advance

obviously dreamt up by one of these incompetents who infest thai beaurocracy

so to get a tourist visa for thailand ( though maybe not single entry ) you must travel back to your home country , give 6 months worth of bank statements , a letter showing you are employed

wonder if they will want facebook and gmail passwords next and the police clearance

I believe Thais who want to a visitor visa to Europe need to provide bank statements and proof of reason to return to Thailand after their visit such as business ownership or employment. Aren't these similar requirements?

If someone wants to visit for more than 30 days exempt + 30 days in country extension as a tourist which makes for quite a long holiday then presumably the authorities have realised that they need to make some checks on why and whether the visa applicant plans to leave afterwards.

Err, Thailand is an emerging country where the current PPP GDP wage is about $14,000 per annum whereas the UK is around $39,000. Pressure to migrate to the West from the third world for economic betterment is a well established phenomenon whereas the flow of economic migrants from the West to the LoS and other countries in the region is not a feature currently documented by any organisation, either by the UNHCR, the IOM, the Thai Ministry of Labour, Thai Immigration, the ILO or anyone else for that matter.

Given that ASEAN integration will precipitate even more movement of peoples, intra region, most of whom in comparison to Westerners haven't got a pot to piss in, and taking into account the not inconsiderable fact that Thailand encourages hundreds of thousands of low income Chinese and Russian packaged tourists, I rather think the financial prohibition on certain groups of Westerners qualifying for this new visa is somewhat incoherent and not a little stupid.

This is on the Thai Consulate in Vancouver's website;

Thailand launches the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) scheme
October 1, 2015 in Announcements
On 28 July 2015, the Thai Government launched the “Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV)” scheme. This new scheme, published in the Royal Gazette on 14 September 2015, is an addition to the already existing sixty (60) days tourist visa, and will be effective from 13 November 2015 onwards.
The METV is available to tourists of all nationalities. Applicants can apply for the METV at all Thai Embassies, Consulates-General as well as Honorary Consulates worldwide. The application fee is 5,000 THB, with a visa validity of six (6) months and the duration of stay of up to sixty (60) days per visit.
The METV is hoped to boost Thailand’s tourism industry, bring increased revenue into the country and help to prepare Thailand for the ASEAN Community.

Again, they're just quoting the MFA blurb BUT they are sayin' ANYONE can buy it ANYWHERE (like the original MFA and Royal Gazette listing quote)..

METV Thai Consulate Vancouver

ok all;
still any doubt it need be applied for in ur own country and u need be rich and employed?

form the us embassy;

4. Flight confirmation/reservation (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it)
5. Hotel reservation confirmation (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it)
6. A copy of bank statement or evidence of adequate finance for the last 6 months with a minimum balance of $7,000 (every months) (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it)
7. For non-US citizen, a copy of permanent resident alien card or a copy of valid US visa
8. An employment verification
9. For students, full-time student status proof
10.For self-employed, business license or business registration indicating the applicant’s name.
Visa Processing Fees: 200 USD

http://thaiembdc.org/tourist-visa-ca...multiple-metv/

Cambodian embassy

Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa will only be granted to Cambodian nationals or those with proof of permanent residence in Cambodia.
4. Evidence of adequate finance
Single-Entry Tourist Visa: $1000 per person and $2000 per family
Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: $8,000 per person (6 months of financial statements)
5. Letter of Employment (compulsory for Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa applicants)
6. Evidence of accommodation booking (compulsory for Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa applicants)
7. Application fee (Cash only in US Dollars – Non-refundable):
Single-Entry Tourist Visa: $40
Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: $200

Visa Service : Tourist - ????????????????? ? ??????????


Note ; Americans only need show $7,000 while Cambodians ( and those in Singpoare) need show $8,000

One really does wonder just how these monkeys actually think?

I think I saw somewhere that the minimum credit balance of £5,000 per month for at least six months must be a current account and not a savings account. Now, if that indeed proves to be the case, then I rather think these morons have successfully excluded most working folk in the West from qualifying for a multiple visit visa.

Frankly, why would anyone with that amount of disposable income would wish to visit a third world shithole like this place on a regular and frequent basis is mystifying.

They really are the stupidest folk on the planet.

^
What they said..

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

i posted that as well before u but it seems my post disappeared ???

From the Thai Embassy London

2. Tourist (3 months validity/Up to 60 days/Single) £25
3. Tourist (6 months validity/Up to 60 days/Multiple Entries) £125

Visa Fees | ???????????????????? ? ??????????

No other info about the new visa.

Twice the duration, five times the price. I'll be in Thailand for three and a half months. I might as well get a £25 single then jump over a border into Laos for a couple of weeks then return for my final month visa free. They will lose two weeks of my tourism spend because of the high price of the new visa.

Originally Posted by Phuketrichard

i posted that as well before u

Nice try...

Originally Posted by Phuketrichard

i posted that as well before u but it seems my post disappeared ???

It's spelled "you". Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Steam

From the Thai Embassy London

2. Tourist (3 months validity/Up to 60 days/Single) £25
3. Tourist (6 months validity/Up to 60 days/Multiple Entries) £125

Visa Fees | ???????????????????? ? ??????????

No other info about the new visa.

Twice the duration, five times the price. I'll be in Thailand for three and a half months. I might as well get a £25 single then jump over a border into Laos for a couple of weeks then return for my final month visa free. They will lose two weeks of my tourism spend because of the high price of the new visa.

Good for countries next door and Air Asia.

I met the Thai consul for South Australia today. She told me that whilst the new visa METV begins on 13th November she does not have the forms or paperwork yet.

Originally Posted by Steam

I'll be in Thailand for three and a half months. I might as well get a £25 single then jump over a border into Laos for a couple of weeks then return for my final month visa free. They will lose two weeks of my tourism spend because of the high price of the new visa.

Conversely you could just get a 60 day single entry tourist visa, extend it at any Thai Immigration office in country for another 30 days (1900baht), border bounce and get your 30day visa exempt stamp.

If you stick with your original plan, I'm sure the country will manage to limp along after losing two whole weeks of your tourism spending.

What's up with the facetious attitude? By increasing the cost of staying twice as long to five times the price the country seems to be telling me that it prefers me to stay less time and I doubt I'm the only one who sees that.

Vietnam is moving the other way by making a visa unnecessary for a short visit because they realise that this will have a positive effect on tourism.

What you fail to take into account is my two weeks of spend is about 50,000 baht. If a million tourists per year reduce the length of their stay because of the removal of fairly priced double entry tourist visas then you are talking 25 billion baht of lost tourism revenue for every week they reduce it by.

I can't see the average backpacker spending 50k in 2 weeks, but basically, I agree, they are damaging their own tourism industry with yet another new, silly scheme.

I suspect their logic is that they want tourists to hop in and out of the country and use it as a base to explore the rest of SE Asia. It's a positive step in that at the moment if you have tourist visas they are partially wasted if you stay less than 60 days and that won't be the case with the new 6 month multi entry but it's not suitable for everyone.

The higher price is presumably to cover the immigration cost of entering and leaving the country lots of times but I think the visa money stays with the embassy and isn't repatriated to cover policing costs. Maybe it's a way of reducing funding from Thailand to the embassies.