Thailand reviews Japanese tourist visas

BANGKOK, 29 March 2011 – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will hold an emergency meeting, this week, to decide on a proposal from the private sector to extend the current visa-free, 30-day stay to 90 days for Japanese tourists, for six months up to 30 September.

At an earlier meeting, last week, the ministry, government and private sector recommended measures to support the long-stay market from Japan and one of the proposals included extending the visa-free stay from 30 days to 90 days.

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China’s charters skip Songkran

BANGKOK, 24 March 2011-  The Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association claims Thailand will suffer a 20% decline in charter flights from China during the upcoming Songkran Festival 12 to 20 April.

The association blames the decline on the government’s decision to end a visa fee waiver that means Chinese tourists will have to pay for a visa, effective 1 April.

Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association president, Vichit Prakobkoson, told TTR Weekly that earlier estimates had suggested 100 charter flights would ferry Chinese tourists to Thailand for the festival week. That estimate has now been reduced to 80 and the association claims it will cut tourism revenue by as much as Bt250 to Bt300 million.

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Visa rules damage British tourism

LONDON, 16 March 2011 – Visas are a major obstacle for inbound tourism in long-haul markets such as China and India according to a European Tour Operators Association report released Tuesday.

The ETOA’s Visa Survey revealed for the first time the loss of business due to people abandoning visa applications. While the conclusions focused on two heavy weight markets, China and India, they were relevant to most outbound travel markets in Southeast Asia.

When asked which consular authority would they rate as most problematic at processing visas, the UK gained first place with 20% of respondents in the survey rating it was the most problematic.

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Postal service for Japanese visas

BANGKOK, 2 March 2011 –  Japan Visa Application Centre streamlined its visa pipeline  last week to allow Thai applicants, living in six designated provinces to file an application through a post office counter service.

The six provinces are: Ayutthaya; Rayong; Phitsanulok; Phuket; Nakhon Ratchasima; and Chonburi (only available in Sri Racha district). The service is available at Post Office counters 0830 to 1630 Monday to Friday. Services close on Thai and Japanese public holidays.

It will take about seven to eight days to receive a visa through the service.

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Association lobbies for visa-free entry

BANGKOK, 15 February 2011 -  Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association said Monday it would lobby the government to ease visa requirements for Chinese tourists.

Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association president, Vichit Prakobkoson, said it was imperative that the government consider easier visa rules for Chinese tourists from mainland China and Taiwan citing Japan and Korea’s as example of  a successful visa-free entry policy.

“If the government approves visa exemption, we are confident it would generate 500,000 additional Chinese tourists,” said Mr Vichit.

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Malaysia eases visa rules

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 February 2011 – Taiwanese nationals will soon be allowed to visit Malaysia without a visa, a minister said Thursday, in a bid to increase the number of tourists and boost foreign exchange earnings.

“We will provide visa-free travel for Taiwanese tourists very soon. It will encourage more tourists (to come to Malaysia),” Ng Yen Yen, tourism minister told reporters.

Last year, some 200,000 Taiwanese visited Malaysia.

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Checks and balances in visa process

 BANGKOK, 8 December 2010 – One of the key cables from the United States embassy in Berlin included in last week’s tranche of WikiLeaks expose has confirmed long standing fears that the U.S. government is seeking wider leeway to access private information on global travellers as part of its anti-terrorism drive.

Largely unnoticed by the global media reporting on the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing, the cable by the U.S. ambassador in Berlin dated September 2009 expressed concern that a victory of one of the German political parties in the federal elections that same month would “could lead to complications” for the U.S. government’s efforts to access personal data on terrorism suspects.

It specifically mentions the data gathered under bilateral agreements with Germany, the U.S.-EU Passenger Name Recognition (PNR) initiative, and “elements of the Visa Waiver Program that involve sharing information on travellers.” Read more

Cambodia and Thailand agree on visa-free entry

BANGKOK, 22 November 2010 — Thailand and Cambodian signed a visa exemption agreement during the 4th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit that closed last week in Phnom Penh.

The visa-free entry will be effective from 16 December, allowing citizens of both countries to visit without having to apply for a visa, either at the embassy, or on arrival at a border check point.

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Visa free entry for Thais and Cambodians

BANGKOK, 16 November 2010 – Trade and tourism between Thailand and Cambodia should surge following a visa exemption agreement that is scheduled to be signed by Thai and Cambodian governments during the 4th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit 17 November in Phnom Penh.

Once the agreement is ratified, ordinary passport holders of both countries will be able to travel without having to apply for a visa at border checkpoints and airports. Citizens of both countries will be able to stay for up to 14 days.

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US ready to tax travellers

HAWAII, 8 August 2010 – The Department of Homeland Security announced last Friday that it will begin collecting fees on travellers from Visa Waiver countries beginning 8 September 2010.

According to yesterday’s ETurboNew news bulletin, travellers will be charged a US$14 fee when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

A portion of the fee gained from tourists will be ploughed back into the Corporation for Travel Promotion, the US version of a tourism bureau established under the 2009 Travel Promotion Act.

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