Suspension of TM6 form for travellers extended

Use of TM6 immigration forms will remain suspended until April 30 next year to facilitate cross-border tourism while the new electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system is being developed, which could integrate tourism fee collection, officials say.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the cabinet on Tuesday approved the suspension for foreigners who enter via 16 land and sea checkpoints.
The suspension, which first took effect on April 15 and was due to expire on Tuesday, is aimed at improving immigration services, reducing congestion at checkpoints and boosting tourism to help economic growth.
Some of the key checkpoints where the exemption is effective include Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo, Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai and Padang Besar in Songkhla.
The proposal was submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for developing the ETA system, which is expected to take the place of the TM6 form.
The ETA system will allow foreign tourists from 93 countries granted visa-free entry to register online prior to their arrival in Thailand. The QR code they receive on registration can then be used to pass through automated immigration gates.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, meanwhile, is exploring integrating the collection of the 300-baht and 150-baht tourism fees into the ETA system.
Songchai Mungprasithichai, president of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, said waiving the TM6 form would help increase daily Malaysian arrivals to Songkhla province by 50% compared with the period when the requirement was enforced.
During holiday periods in Malaysia, he said, at least 20,000 to 30,000 tourists flock to Hat Yai and Songkhla per day.
Mr Songchai said the number of Malaysian travellers and overall tourism revenue in Songkhla should exceed the 2019 total this year.
However, tourism in the Deep South is at risk of losing momentum because of the lack of new destinations and attractions to draw visitors, he said.
Without fresh products, Malaysian tourists would travel within Hat Yai and Songkhla for a few days and then head back to their country, not visiting nearby provinces.
Mr Songchai also said the tourism minister should support the most efficient method for tourism fee collection at border checkpoints to ensure convenience, given that at least 10,000 travellers a day commute via those channels in the South.
He said tourism operators are also worried about the effectiveness of managing the tourism fund, to which the fees will be directed, to help develop new tourism attractions.
Mr Songchai said the Pheu Thai-led administration and public organisations focus too much on accelerating travel demand, but pay less attention to supply development.
For instance, the recent half-half co-payment scheme for tourism in the North, which will feature 800-baht subsidies for 10,000 travellers, would temporarily help mitigate the impact of recent floods, but cannot help create competitiveness and tourism jobs, he said.