Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the difference between a Tourist Visa and a Visa Exemption stamp. Now this is one of those videos that for those who are a long time viewer this channel and you are much appreciated although I can't imagine what it is like watching me spout this stuff all day long, but it is appreciated, this may be a video that is a bit redundant.

We are talking about something we talk about rather frequently on this channel or have done over the years. I have to remind myself that look not everybody has watched all these videos so just because it is redundant to me it is probably not redundant to people new. Also some context here, we recently did a video where we were talking about the possibility that visa fees were going to increase due to an announcement that was placed on a Consulate’s website, a Thai Consulate's website in New Zealand. I recently did a video on that, an ALERT specifically, basically asking are Thai Visa fees going up.

As a response to that I received the following message. Quoting directly: "There appears to be some discrepancy with the news reports you spoke about recently on your YouTube channel and what the Thai Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand website currently states. I cannot find these fees on the Thai Embassy website, nor can a friend who is traveling shortly. On my advice he contacted the Thai Embassy in Washington and was told that New Zealand citizens can still get a 30-day Tourist Visa-on-arrival as has been the case for many years." Yeah okay, that is strictly speaking true but you are conflating two different things there. 30 days on arrival you just use your New Zealand passport or your US passport, or UK passport, Australia passport whatever, those passports that have certain bilateral relations with Thailand, you use one of those passports, come in to Thailand and yes you will stamped in for 30 days. That stamp is not a Tourist Visa. Thai stamp is a Visa Exemption stamp and it might seem a fine point but Tourist Visas are what is issued at Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad; generally speaking, single entries such visas are issued with 60 days validity with the option to extend by 30 more or more recently we are seeing multi-entry Tourist Visas issued with as long validity as 6 months. That said, your status in Thailand is still only 60 days per entry, again with the option to extend by another 30 days. But a Tourist Visa is not the same thing, I repeat that; not the same thing as just hopping on a plane, travelling into Thailand on your passport and getting a 30-day stamp as that is visa exemption status which means although you are in lawful status here in Thailand, you are not here on a visa, you are visa exempt. They have given you an exemption from the requirement to have the Visa. So these are two different things that we are talking about with respect to possible changes in terms of Visa fees here in the Kingdom of Thailand.