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CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 34.5
ONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 260841Z OCT 79
DESK OFHOLA
INDEX
PA
TO PRIORITY BANGKOK
TELNO.96 OF 26 OCTOBER,
INFO PRIORITY M+V DEPT.
FROM CARTER, IMMIGRATION DEPT.
HONG KONG TRANSIT VISAS FOR TAIWANESE.
1. THE INCREASE IN TAIWANESE VISA APPLICATIONS IN BANGKOK STEMS
FROM A RELAXATION OF TAIWANESE FOREIGN TRAVEL CONTROL EARLIER THIS YEAR WHICH LED TO AN UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO HONG KONG. TO AVOID THE DELAY OF THREE WEEKS OR SO IN THE ISSUE OF HONG KONG PERMITS (IN LIEU OF VISAS), TRAVEL AGENTS HAVE BEEN EXPLOITING THE FACILITY WHICH ALLOWS VISA POSTS TO ISSUE TRANSIT VISAS TO TAIWANESE WITHOUT REFERENCE TO HONG KONG. AS I SAW FOR MYSELF DURING MY VISIT TO BANGKOK ON 22 OCTOBER, THIS ADDITIONAL VISA TRAFFIC IS PUTTING YOUR STAFF AND FACILITIES UNDER SEVERE
PRESSURE.
THE PROPOSALS THAT WE (CARTER/COLESHILL) DISCUSSED HAVE BEEN AGREED BY RON BRIDGE, I.E.,
(A) YOU MAY ADVISE THE LOCAL TRAVEL AGENTS CONCERNED THAT
WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 1980, YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO OFFER A "'WHILE-YOU-WAIT'' SERVICE FOR RESIDENTS OF TAIWAN (BUT THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAIWANESE RESIDENT IN THAILAND WILL CONTINUE), AND THAT APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE LODGED WITH THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IN HONG KONG BEFORE THEIR CLIENTS LEAVE TAIWAN, AS WAS THE CASE PREVIOUSLY. (B) YOU MAY REFER TO HONG KONG ANY APPLICATIONS FROM TAIWAN
RESIDENTS RECEIVED ON OR AFTER 1 JANUARY 1980. (FEW APPLICATIONS ARE LIKELY TO BE REFERRED BECAUSE OF THE VERY SHORT STAY OF THESE GROUPS IN THAILAND). YOU RETAIN DISCRETION
TO ISSUE TRANSIT VISAS WITHOUT REFERENCE TO INDIVIDUAL TAIWANESE (EVEN IF RESIDENT IN TAIWAN) WHERE THIS ACTION IS
IN OUR MUTUAL INTEREST.
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