Temporary tourist visas for the most part aren’t all the expensive, but when you’re going on holiday to destination like Thailand, every penny counts.
That’s why this Christmas, Thailand’s tourism leaders are gifting Aussies with a visa fee waiver over the holidays.
Here’s how it works:
Australians who apply for a tourist visa (single entry) at the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, the Royal Thai Honorary Consulates/Consulate-General in Australia or the Royal Thai Honorary Consulate-General in Port Moresby will be exempt from the visa fee.
Applications need to be submitted during 1 December to 28 February 2017.
Additionally, Thailand has decreased the Visa on Arrival fee for select countries from 2,000THB to 1,000THB.
This discount will apply from 1 December to 28 February 2017 and is available to tourists from Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
Good news right?
The visa fee waives comes as Thailand continues to mourn the loss of its King. The mourning process is expected to take up to a year and travellers to the country are being urged to respect locals during the period.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), despite the loss, tourism to the destination remains strong with projections that international tourism revenue will reach around 1.62 trillion Baht (US$ 46 billion) in 2016, up 11.68 percent on 2015.
TAT, however, did say in a recent press release that the visa fee waiver is designed to encourage tourists to book a holiday to Thailand and spend.
