Amid backlash from travel agencies and tourists, the Thailand Trade and Economic Office yesterday canceled a proposed NT$470 increase in the handling fee for visa applications.
The office on Tuesday said that beginning in October, Taiwanese visitors to Thailand would have to pay an additional handling fee for visa applications processed by a newly hired Dubai-based consular services provider.
Travel agencies and individuals protested the hike, believing that the office was planning to fully outsource visa services.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The office yesterday said that applicants could continue to apply directly to the office or a travel agency, while the new third option of applying through VFS Global was added for convenience.
The office said it is investigating ways to improve the visa application process, but no changes have been made so far.
The office said the new option is for those who do not wish to wait in line and are willing to pay more for convenience.
Earlier in the day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) at an award ceremony for those who have made notable contributions to foreign affairs, said that Thailand is an important market for the nation’s tourism industry, with the number of Thai tourists increasing by 50 percent since the government in August last year introduced visa-free travel for Thais.
The policy was introduced as part of the government’s New Southbound Policy.
Taiwan earlier this month extended the visa-free trial period for Thai travelers for another year, citing the success of the policy.
Visitor numbers from other parts of Southeast Asia have also increased 30 percent, Wu said.
“There is no doubt that the policy has been successful and we have seen very good reactions to it overall,” he said.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS