No more free-on-arrival visas for Thailand for 17 countries ?
The rumor is growing, Thailand’s government will consider ending free-on-arrival visas for people from 17 nations. The Immigration Bureau has made this proposal to punish countries that charge visa fees for Thais who want to visit them.
It would be surprising if the measure is adopted as it would damage tourism industry which is a very important in the Thai economy . But to “punish” countries that collect visa fees to Thai citizens, the Immigration Bureau has officially asked the Foreign Ministry to end the longstanding practicewhich provided free visas for arriving Australians, Britons, Americans, Germans, French, Swedes, Canadians, Dutch, Italians, Swiss, Danes, Finns, Norwegians, Israelis, Emiratis, Spaniards and Kiwis. A kind of eye for an eye tooth for a tooth measure. Even if they also justify it with another argument : it would enable Thai athorities to better filter criminals.
The Bureau of Immigration hesitates between a unique fee of 1000 bahts or still in its eye for an eye tooth for a tooth policy apply the same fees as those paid by Thais citizen to go in the countries concerned.
If the proposal is serious and formal, we are very skeptical about the fact that it will actually leads to the end of free-on-arrival visas for Thailand for the 17 countries listed. Free on arrival visa has not been established to get reciprocity from the concerned countries but to boost tourism in Thailand.
Stay tuned…
