@Jared ********

Same. have entered twice already on the DTV. First by air, then by land. Was delighted that my "enter until date" was stamped, not handwritten, as is usually done when entering by land since the 180 day stamps are relatively rare (most visa types allow for entries for 14, 15, 30, 60 or 90 days). Anything above 90 days is normally reserved for those on extensions of stay and are valid until that extension expires.

DTV, LTR and privilege visa holders all receive something more than 90 days per entry (180 days for DTV, up to 10 years but I think they're stamped in for 5 years on an LTV and for privilege visa holders, 1, 5, 10 or even 20 years).

Nothing. Some land borders occasionally levy a small stamping fee (usually on exiting, not on entering) if you travel with a car but this is limited to something like 25 or 30 Baht and doesn't apply to passengers traveling by bus or on foot.

@Kevin ******

What are you talking about? In some respects, the DTV is superior to 1 year visas/extensions except for the need to do either a border run / trip outside the country at the 6 month mark or go for an extension of stay.

@Wannikea ********

Indeed! That's another reason and is always at the back of my mind.

In my particular case, the only reason why I wasn't able to print out my Cambodian evisa ahead of time on my second entry was due to my busy schedule as I was in Vietnam for only 4 days and the visa only came through quite late.

I had entered Cambodia from Vietnam and obviously you can't hold 2 visas at the same time so I had to wait until after I left Cambodia to apply for a new one.

Now with a DTV e-visa that won't be a concern, as you only need one that lasts for 5 years.

@Nyan ***********

Indeed and for countries such as Myanmar and Vietnam, if you require an e-visa to enter, you need to present a paper copy or you're not getting on the plane.

For Laos and Cambodia, without paper copies of the e-visa, you'll be asked to apply for a visa on arrival. Now, there may be a printing service available at land borders but at airports they'll probably just tell you to buy a visa on arrival.

@Wannikea ********

I agree. It's the same with e-visas for Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. No paper copy = no entry or more likely, you'll be directed to a printing shop at the Port of entry. If flying to Vietnam or Myanmar, you won't even get on the plane without a paper copy of your e-visa.

In the case of Cambodia last week, this happened to me because the e-visa took so long for them to process (2.5 days, when it's normally only 1 day) so by the time the visa was issued, I was just 45 minutes from reaching the border.

Fortunately, there was a printing shop which printed out my visa. Had the visa not come through in time, I would have had to purchase one on arrival.

However, for Cambodia, an additional copy is needed for exit. The shop didn't print a second copy but I figured I'd get it done at the hotel.

I forgot as I was in a rush. Thus at the exit border, I had to find a printer and that took 15 minutes because the first one wasn't functioning.

One should always bring paper copies of everything to assist your travels.

Days earlier and for similar reasons, printing out my Cambodian customs papers greatly assisted me with my exit from Laos by car, when I presented them to Lao customs. In addition to showing my paper copy of my Cambodian cross border insurance and e-visa as well as other required documents, including the international transport permit, I was stamped out with ease.

Without being prepared like this, I might have been asked to walk to the Cambodian side to request permission to cross, greatly inconveniencing my travels.

@Andi **********

Yes, indeed. That's what has been mentioned recently. If they only impose it on visa exempt arrivals, it will be a true tourist tax.

@Brian ********

What a ridiculous comment. I pay VAT, expressway tolls, fuel taxes like everyone else. Fire department? Who uses that? Not even Thais ever call the fire department. You're being absurdly ridiculous.

@Nick ******

Extra taxes, whatever form they come in are the opposite of happiness. They cause anxiety and worry. Not something you want if you're looking to find happiness.

Of course, no one is forced to visit dual pricing venues. However, if this proposed 300 Baht tax comes into force, it could affect most, or even all expats.

At this point, it's just a proposal and hasn't been voted on, but it's worrying that it's been brought back.

@Andi **********

Not sure. They're discussing it as an online interface, where you'd have to make payment before arrival. If it happens, it will definitely be incorporated into the planned ETA system BUT anyone who holds a visa shouldn't be required to get an ETA nor make an additional tourist tax payment, not even DTV holders.

At this point, it's all speculative, but the latest news does suggest it won't be included in airfares nor will they use kiosks...they'd rather use an online system, whereby payment is made before travel commences.