| 1. |
The Cabinet approved a
project promoting Longstay Tourism in Thailand on 26 June,
2001. |
| 2. |
A National Committee and
three Sub-Committees for promoting and developing Longstay
Tourism have been set up. |
| 3. |
TAT consulted with the
Department of Export Promotion (DEP) to cooperate and
promote Longstay Tourism. TAT is also in the process of
setting up the standards of accommodation and services to be
an official guideline for related business operators. |
| 4. |
TAT consulted with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the adjustment of the
application procedure of an O-A visa. |
| |
4.1 To change
the qualifying age to fifty years old or above. This is for
facilitating those tourists who have retired early. |
| |
4.2 Applicants
must either have a deposit of an amount equal to no less
than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate (original copy)
with a monthly salary of no less than 65,000 Baht, or a
deposit account plus a monthly income that totals no less
than 800,000 Baht a year in order to apply for the one-year
O-A visa. |
| |
4.3 To promote
the concept of Longstay Tourism to the Royal Thai Embassies
and Consulates abroad. The interested tourists have to
present their financial or income statement to the Royal
Thai Embassy or the Consulate in order to apply for the O-A
visa. |
| |
4.4 The
application period (from the day they send an application
until they receive the result) should not exceed twenty
days. |
| 5. |
The Longstay Coordination
Centre was set up on the 20th Fl., at TAT head office:
Tourism Authority of Thailand,
Le Concorde Building,
20 A Fl., 202 Ratchadaphisek Rd.,
Huai Kwang, Bangkok,
Thailand 10310 |
| 6. |
TAT consulted with the
Immigration Bureau to improve the application system for the
O-A Visa. |
| |
6.1 Approve the
outcome of the consultation between TAT and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs |
| |
6.2 Give the
Royal Thai Embassies or Consulates abroad the authority to
issue the O-A visa. Any extension of the period of stay has
to be requested directly from the Immigration Bureau. |
| |
6.3 The Cabinet
approved the procedures and qualifications of those who
would like to apply for a resident's visa for special
investment purposes. The application for this category of
visa must be submitted to the Immigration Bureau. When an
interested person whose age is fifty years and above
receives the resident's visa by investing in Thailand an
amount of ten million baht or above (buys a condominium or
government bonds), his/her spouse will also obtain the same
type of visa without paying any additional fee. |
| 7. |
The Sub-Committee for the
Policy and Business Plan announced the first five potential
provinces for promoting the Longstay Programme: |
| |
7.1 Chiang Mai |
| |
7.2 Sukhothai |
| |
7.3 Hua Hin,
Cha-am |
| |
7.4
Kanchanaburi |
| |
7.5 Nong Kai |
| 8. |
A webpage about Longstay was
included in TAT's website. |
| 9. |
The Longstay concept has been
promoted through a competition in creating a slogan for
Longstay. The winning slogan is "Having a Longstay in
Thailand feels like home." |
| 10. |
The first public seminar to
promote the principles and concepts of Longstay was
organised on 10 September, 2001, at the Department of Public
Relations. |
| 11. |
The Japanese-Thai
Subcommittee was set up to evaluate the impediments that the
Japanese Longstay visitors have faced and to facilitate
their needs. In the future, the Thai-European Subcommittee
to study the European market will be set up. |
| 12. |
The proposal to set up a
One-Stop Service Centre to facilitate Longstay visitors on
the issue of regulations and rules was approved by the
Cabinet. Moreover, the proposal on the establishment of the
Thai Longstay Management Corporation to promote this
programme was approved. The government will hold thirty
percent of the total share, while the other seventy percent
will be held by the private sector. |
| 13. |
Questionnaires asking
foreigners in Thailand for information have been given to
the Immigration Bureau to collect the relevant data that
would be beneficial for further studies about this programme. |
| 14. |
A plan to set up a working
group to promote and develop Longstay Tourism in the first
five potential provinces is in the process of approval. |
| 15. |
The promotion of Longstay
Tourism has already been broadcasted in some media. |
| 16. |
Senior journalists were
invited to attend the meeting promoting the concept of
Longstay Tourism at the Chao Soi Restaurant, World Trade
Center on 15 October, 2001. |
| 17. |
An IT Booth for Longstay was
presented in the Thailand Tourism Festival 2001 at Muang
Thong Thani. |
| 18. |
The 3rd meeting of the
National Committee to promote and develop Longstay Tourism
was held on 6 December, 2001. |
| 19. |
There is a plan to set up an
organization to collect the information about those people
who have already obtained a resident's visa. This is to
follow up their status as Longstay visitors in Thailand. |
| 20. |
TAT organized the Longstay
Thank You Party to appoint the current Longstay visitors to
be ambassadors and to promote Longstay tourism to the world
on11 December, 2001. |
| 21. |
A working group to be
responsible for setting and examining the standards of
accommodation and services has been set up. The workshop of
this working group will be held on 14 January, 2002. This
workshop is for presenting the standards of accommodation
and services to the providers. The providers will be allowed
to make comments concerning this issue. In addition, the
comments will be studied and used to improve the standards. |
