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Free visa and $10,000 riot insurance for tourists extended by one year


Fergy

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BANGKOK: -- Less than one month after Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Thaivisa.com that the free tourist visa scheme would end on March 5, 2010, the Thailand Government has announced the tourism stimulus package will continue for another year, including $US10,000 in free riot insurance for tourists.

 

The extension of the tourism industry stimulus package was approved by the cabinet today, March 2, 2010 in response to a request from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

 

The extension will be effective from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011 and appears to leave a three and a half week window in which tourist visas for Thailand will be charged for.

 

The tourism industry stimulus package includes: free-of-charge riot protection insurance worth US$10,000 for each foreign tourist; reduced aircraft landing and parking fees; help for state agencies to hold seminars and field trips in the country to boost domestic spending; and allows business operators who organise domestic seminars, training courses and tourist destination trips for employees to deduct the cost for tax purposes.

 

The extension of the tourism industry stimulus package came on the back of a report to cabinet that inbound foreign tourism arrivals for 2009 dropped 3 percent over those in 2008, resulting in an 8 percent drop in revenue to Bt527 billion (about $US16 billion).

 

The Tourism and Sports Ministry told cabinet that it expected inbound tourism arrivals for 2010 to increase by about 10 percent, to between 15.3 and 15.5 million, provided there was no major political disruptions throughout the year.

 

The $10,000 free riot insurance coverage was introduced last year and initiated by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) in response to international insurance firms’ refusal to sell insurance coverage to visitors to Thailand following the 2008 closure of Thailand airports by members of the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

 

When the insurance coverage was first introduced last year, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of TCT, said the government had set aside Bt190.75 million ($US5.820 million) for the initial six month period covering May to October, 2009, with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports responsible for paying the insurance premium of $1 per visitor.

 

The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and appears to only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa. Resident expatriates living and working in Thailand on non-immigrant visas do not appear to be covered for death, injury or inconvenience caused by riots.

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I just got my passport back in the mail today with my free tourist visa all stamped ... I'm so ready to go now.

 

The only reason I got the visa in advance is because of the stupid new rule giving you only a 15 day exemption when crossing by land - but all is well now :)

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Advertising that you are providing "Free $10,000 Riot Insurance" to get more tourist is like a toilet manufacturer showing a pile of shit in the toilet and then how well it flushes it down. I mean, yes, that's what a toilet does but I doubt we want to see how it actually works.

Some things are better unspoken...

 

Just the mere fact they are advertising the Riot Insurance tells all tourist that they might be entering a dangerous place. Might just as well advertise free medical care just in case you are shot or beaten severely by a Red or Yellow shirt mob. Yep, that will get the tourist to come.

 

I highly doubt that tourist will make a "go/no go" decision because they offer free visa's. Nor will reduced landing fees change a airlines business plan to fly more planes into a certain destination.

 

Just my 2 cents....

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