Phuket hoteliers do not expect to feel the pinch if the government reduces visa-free stays to 30 days, as data showed the average length of stay was two weeks, though they say remedies for illegal businesses might require more practical solutions.
European guests in Phuket typically spent two weeks at hotels, while those seeking long-stay trips mostly flocked to condominiums, said Suksit Suvunditkul, president of the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
“If the government decides to limit visa-free stays to no more than 30 days, it would impact condo rentals more than hotels,” said Mr Suksit.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is preparing to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days for nationals of many countries as part of an effort to curb abuses of the scheme by people operating illegal businesses.
Before the 60-day scheme took effect last year, Phuket had a limited number of long-stay guests and they opted for tourist visas to extend their trips to 2-3 months, said Mr Suksit.
However, shortening the visa period may not address illicit activities conducted by foreigners, as other measures can help to screen tourists, said Mr Suksit.
Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said its members applauded the latest move as they had consistently called for a reduction of the visa-free period to 30 days.
He said tourism operators are not concerned that the market would be affected as there are still other visa options for those who want to stay longer.
Based on data from the Immigration Bureau, the number of foreigners in Phuket seeking visa extensions remains at 10,000 applications per month on average, which has been stable since before the pandemic, said Mr Thanet.
However, the government should enhance the upcoming digital TM6 arrival form to make it capable of helping screen tourists, which has been a problem over the past several months.
The online TM6 immigration form, which will be compulsory for all foreign arrivals entering Thailand, is scheduled to take effect on May 1.
“As the government will soon implement the digital TM6, we’ve already proposed to the Immigration Bureau and the minister integrating other systems, which could effectively detect suspicious behaviour of foreigners,” said Mr Thanet.
He said the tourism sector proposed linking the system with a web mapping platform, such as Google Maps, to verify the addresses provided by arrivals.
It should also integrate the digital TM6 data with the TM30 information collected from accommodations under Section 38 of the Immigration Act, which requires landlords or hotel managers to notify the local immigration office about foreigners they host.
With these methods, the authorities would be able to track whether the addresses provided in the TM6 form match the information in the TM30 or even detect if those properties have a tendency to be illegally operated, said Mr Thanet.
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that before the 60-day stay was granted last year, roughly 200,000 tourists from visa-free countries annually applied for a tourist visa.
If the visa-free scheme were reduced to 30 days, it would have an impact to these groups, as they had benefited from the extended period since it became effective in July last year.
