Thailand may extend free tourist visa promotion
In a bid to woo international visitors, Thailand has proposed the extension of a promotion giving free tourist visas. Under the current promotion effective from 1 December 2016 until 28 February 2017, single-entry tourist visas issued at Thai embassies and consulates worldwide are free of charge.
Thailand’s tourism-minister says extending the offer for another three months would likely encourage more people to choose Thailand for their holidays. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul was attending an ASEAN forum in Singapore and she told attendees the extension would give the national tourism industry a shot in the arm as the traditional off-peak season is fast approaching.
Although passport-holders from the US, the UK, most EU countries and another 50 nations are offered visa-exempt entry for 30 days at Thai airports, others have to pre-apply for tourist visas or obtain visas on arrival. Standard tourist visas cost the equivalent of THB1,000 and give 60 days in-country from the date of entry.
Visas on arrival usually cost THB2,000, but during the current promotional period the price has been halved to THB1,000. MS Wattanavrangkul did not state whether this promotion would be extended as well. People taking advantage of the free visa option will find 12GO ASIA provides economically priced tickets on routes from Bangkok to the likes of Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Tao and Trang.
Last week saw the inauguration of a new flight route connecting central Vietnam and the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. Vietnamese budget carrier Jetstar Pacific launched a twice weekly service last Friday which links the nation’s Quang Binh Province to the Rose of Thailand’s North.
Delegates from Thailand and Myanmar have marked the auspicious 20th birthday of a river bridge linking the two ASEAN nations. The ceremonies on Tuesday marked the official anniversary of the Moei River Friendship Bridge’s opening on 15 August 1997.
A heritage bridge spanning the Perfume River in Hue is to get a makeover to make it more conducive to 21st century tourism. The original Truong Tien Bridge dates from the French colonial era in the 1890s and is a 400-metre-long structure.
