泰國對中國等國游客上調落地簽證費

Deadly bomb blasts in Thai tourist resort areas have failed to deter the country’s military rulers from raising entry fees for holidaymakers from 19 countries and territories, including China.

泰國旅游度假區(qū)發(fā)生的致命炸彈爆炸事件未能阻止該國軍事統治者對來自19個國家和地區(qū)(包括中國)的游客上調簽證費。

The decision to press ahead with plans to double visa-on-arrival costs to 2,000 baht ($58) has generated mixed reviews, with some commentators arguing it will undermine efforts to shore up confidence in a rare growth industry in the stuttering economy.

按計劃把落地簽證費翻倍至2000泰銖(合58美元)的決定，引發(fā)了褒貶不一的評論，有些評論人士提出，旅游是泰國增長乏力的經濟中一個難得的成長型行業(yè)，而此舉將破壞提振對該行業(yè)信心的努力。

The tariff changes widen the disparity between Chinese holidaymakers and western counterparts who can still visit for free, even though the doubling of Thailand’s tourist numbers in six years has been driven by China.

上調簽證費將擴大中國游客與仍可免費入境的西方游客之間的差距，盡管赴泰國的游客人數在六年內翻一番是由中國這個客源國推動的。

The higher charges appear to reflect official ambivalence in Bangkok towards a sector that has delivered income during political turbulence but is putting increasing strain on infrastructure.

上調費用似乎反映了泰國官方對旅游業(yè)的矛盾心理，該行業(yè)在泰國政治動蕩時期帶來了收入，但正給基礎設施帶來越來越大的壓力。

Chanapan Klaewklachyawut, secretary-general of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association, said: “This extra charge is not much for Chinese tourists. If they can’t even afford this amount, how will they have enough money to spend on travelling in Thailand?”

泰中旅游同業(yè)公會(Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association)秘書長Chanapan Klaewklachyawut表示：“這筆額外費用對中國游客不算多。如果他們連這筆錢都負擔不起，他們在泰國旅游期間還會有足夠的錢花銷嗎?”

The Thai government announced last week that the new charges would come into force next month, weeks after bomb attacks across tourist resorts in south Thailand killed four people and wounded dozens more, some of them foreigners.

泰國政府上周宣布，新的簽證費標準將在下月生效實施。就在幾周前，泰國南方的幾個旅游度假勝地遭遇多起炸彈襲擊，導致4人遇難，數十人受傷，其中一些是外國人。

The fees lift Thailand out of the bracket of visas-on-arrival for $40 or less charged by other Southeast Asian holiday-maker destinations, such as Cambodia and Indonesia.

上調簽證費使泰國退出了東南亞收取40美元或以下落地簽證費(如柬埔寨和印尼)的旅游國家行列。

Some Thai commentators have questioned both the decision to raise the prices and the timing of the announcement, which follow approval by the military-dominated cabinet earlier this year.

泰國一些評論人士質疑提高簽證費的決定，也質疑宣布這一決定的時機，此前軍方主導的內閣在今年早些時候批準了此舉。

The Bangkok Post newspaper this week condemned the “outrageous” change as “out of sync with every other current tourist policy”, particularly as Taiwan, one of the other territories affected, has just scrapped its visa requirement for Thai tourists.

《曼谷郵報》(Bangkok Post)本周譴責這一“離譜”的變動，稱其“與其它每一項現行旅游政策不合拍”，尤其是臺灣這個受影響的地區(qū)之一剛剛取消了針對泰國游客的簽證要求。

The increases are particularly striking because China has provided almost half the more than 15m extra arrivals that have lifted Thailand’s foreign tourism visitor numbers from 14.15m in 2009 to 29.88m last year. The boom is apparent in the snaking queues at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport for taxi ranks and at immigration desks that proclaim the official policy of “Good guys in, bad guys out”.

令簽證費上漲格外引人注目的是，中國提供了過去六年逾1500萬新增入境游客人數中的近一半，這些新增游客使泰國的外國游客人數從2009年的1415萬人增至去年的2988萬人。這種繁榮體現于曼谷廊曼機場(Don Mueang airport)出租車上車處和入境檢查柜臺的蛇形隊列;泰國出入境部門宣稱其官方政策是“好人進來，壞人出去”。

Some observers link the visa price rise to official efforts to attract more high-spending visitors and draw away from the cheaper — and seedier — elements of Thailand’s tourist success story.

一些觀察人士把簽證價格上漲與官方的一項努力聯系起來，后者的目的是吸引更多高消費旅客，同時抑制泰國旅游業(yè)成功故事中一些比較廉價、比較粗俗的元素。

Photos and videos have surfaced alleging various episodes of spitting and other bad mannered behaviour by Chinese tourists, who have flocked in particular to temples and other sites featured in a hugely popular 2012 road trip movie called Lost in Thailand.

近年流傳的照片和視頻據稱記錄了中國游客吐痰和其它不良行為。2012年出品的旅游電影《人再囧途之泰囧》(Lost in Thailand)票房極為成功，片中出現的泰國寺廟和其他景點如今擠滿了中國游客。

Some tourism sector insiders argue the higher fees could even be a good thing, because they will help ease the congestion that rapid expansion has brought.

一些旅游業(yè)經營者認為，簽證費上調甚至可能是一件好事，因為這將有助于緩解游客劇增所帶來的擁堵。