The Thai Embassy clarified yesterday that visa fees are
waived for Singaporeans when they apply for any category of visa
for Thailand, including when entering the country for the third
time or more by land.
The Straits Times had reported on Wednesday that fewer
Singaporeans are heading to Hat Yai under a new visa rule that
kicked in on Dec 31.
Under the new rule, visitors who arrive by land via bus
or rail have to obtain a visa in advance if they are visiting for
the third time or more in a calendar year. This affects visitors
from countries that are entitled to a 30-day visa exemption,
including Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. The regulation
does not affect tourists who arrive in Thailand by plane or
ship.
As a result, Tigerair flights to Hat Yai have seen a
"slight increase in demand year on year... in recent months", a
Tigerair spokesman told The Straits Times on Wednesday.
Bus operators
that ST spoke to on Tuesday had said many Singaporeans were
deterred by the $50 visa fee.
However, the
Thai Embassy yesterday said the fee is waived for Singaporeans,
based on an existing agreement between the two countries that is
"symbolic of longstanding and close relations between Thailand and
Singapore".
It added that
the new visa regulation is intended to prevent foreigners from
utilising the 30-day exemption period to work continuously.
To help
applicants save time when obtaining the visa, the embassy also said
it introduced in February an electronic visa application.
Applicants can
submit their documents online for preliminary inspection and will
later be notified to submit their passports to the embassy. They
will get back their passports and receive their visas the next
business day, said the embassy.