On the first day of a new visa-free entry program that officials hope will revive the nation's tourism industry, which was severely hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, top Thai officials welcomed hundreds of Chinese tourists at Bangkok's international airport.
As his tourism minister and other dignitaries welcomed roughly 300 visitors from Shanghai, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin distributed gifts and posed for photos.
Inside the arrivals area at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai traditional dancers and drummers amused the guests.
Srettha stated that the authorities' first objective is to address tourist worries about safety, as reported by The Associated Press.
This also addresses numerous stories and speculations about fraud and kidnapping in Thailand circulating on Chinese social media.
The "very lively" welcoming ceremony at the airport, according to a Shanghai visitor who only went by the name Dai, impressed him.
However, he pointed out that the immigration officer who checked his passport was unaware of the temporary visa exemption policy. He declared that he intended to stay for two weeks and travel to cities other than Bangkok, including Chiang Mai and Phuket.
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A Good Strategy for Thailand's Tourism?
Chinese citizens entering Thailand without a visa is a terrific strategy, according to Peng Chunyu and Wan Yi, who arrived on the same flight. "Very smooth," remarked Peng of the procedure. The two claimed they were excited to explore Bangkok's Grand Palace, Wat Arun temple, and Chinatown during their nine-day vacation.
The visa waiver is in place until February 29 and includes travelers from Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia.
Bookings for hotels and flights have increased by nearly 30 percent since the program was announced, according to tourism minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol.
With nearly 11 million visitors in 2019, China overtook the United States as Thailand's top supplier of tourists, accounting for 27.6 percent of total arrivals in that year before the pandemic ravaged the travel industry.
Because of the stringent visa procedures, the administration worried that the number of Chinese tourists might be smaller than anticipated this year.
After learning that roughly 1.4 million Chinese visitors visited Thailand in the first six months, the state tourism authority of Thailand reported that the goal number of arrivals from China had been reduced from 5 million to 3 million.
The Goal to Increase Chinese Visitors
According to Thapanee Kiatphaibool, director of the tourism authority, the government is optimistic that with the introduction of the visa-free program, the number of Chinese visitors would reach 4 million to 5 million.
Due to the pandemic's devastating effects on Thailand's massive tourism industry, the country's economy suffered. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the nation attracted over 40 million visitors in 2019, who are expected to have spent 1.9 trillion baht ($53.2 billion). However, by 2021, this figure had decreased by more than 99%.
The prime minister's spokesperson, Chai Wacharonke, previously stated that 15 million foreigners visited Thailand in the first seven months. In 2023, he claimed, the government hopes to welcome 28 million visitors and earn 1.4 trillion baht ($39.2 billion) in revenue.
