Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thai Consular Officials adding extra layers of bureaucracy. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com. That article is quite extent, there is a lot of information in there and I would urge those who are watching this video, go read it that in detail. You can get a lot of insight out of that article. I will quote an excerpt from that here in a moment. For those who are unaware, Consular Officials are those who are charged with issuing visas so those are folks who are stationed at a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad and they are primarily tasked with adjudicating applications for Thai Visas. So I thought of, again I thought of making this after reading this recent article in the Pattaya Mail, pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Chinese tour groups face more Visa hassles. Quoting directly: "Speculation about Chinese zero-sum tourism has intensified after Thai Consular Officials abroad added extra layers of bureaucracy. According to reports in the Bangkok Post, each tour group member will need to request an individual permission to visit Thailand rather than be part of a one-off group application. Other requirements, to be introduced next month, are proof each applicant has at least 10,000 Yuan (about 50,000 Baht or US$1,500) available.” A lot of further information in there. I urge those watching this video to go check that out. 

Now, as with many things we discuss on this channel where at first people will say "oh well that pertains to the Chinese, that doesn't have anything to do with me. I'm from Canada or I am from Spain or I am from the US or I am from Australia that's that doesn't have anything to do with me!" Well I am here to tell you it might have more to do with you than you think. 

Every time we see new protocols roll out that are seemingly designed to deal with one specific group, at the end of the day we oftentimes we will see that in fact it has broad-based application. We saw this in a US Immigration context with the so-called Muslim ban under Trump where simply that was targeted at certain countries in the Middle East and again I am not saying these two things are completely analogous, they are not, but there are certain similarities to draw from. One thing we saw is yeah there was broad-based policy changes with regard to Visa issuance as a result of the so-called Muslim ban even though ostensibly that was targeted primarily at folks in the Middle East. At the end of the day that had ramifications worldwide. I suspect that this could be a similar set of circumstances possibly unfolding where Thailand is placing certain new requirements in the bureaucratic process of obtaining a visa on Chinese Nationals in China. Don't be surprised if down the line we don't start seeing other requirements tacked on to Visa processing out of other countries. It is not unheard of and quite honestly, anytime I see this I often in my own head say "well are they sort of doing this as a pilot program to roll it out in a more broad sense?" Now I am not saying that is a foregone conclusion, but based on what we are seeing just sort of generally, especially coming off the end of the Emergency Decree and the re-imposition of the rules status quo ante which pertain to Thai Immigration, I think it is very possible that yeah we could see them piloting different protocols associated with Visa issuance that end up getting rolled out and applied in a more broad global manner.