Thailand Bloggers
Chinese travel agencies express their satisfaction with the recently introduced visa-free policy by the government. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) reported that travel agencies in China have responded positively to this initiative, which allows Chinese tourists to enter Thailand without the need for a visa, for a specified duration.
Previously, ATTA sought clarification from Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin regarding the nature of the “free visa” policy, inquiring whether it merely waived the visa application fee or permitted Chinese visitors to enter Thailand with just their passports. Following the Prime Minister’s clarification that it indeed allowed passport-based entry, ATTA President Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn shared this news with Chinese travel agencies. These agencies expressed optimism that this policy change would attract a higher number of Chinese tourists to Thailand.
Despite having already welcomed around 2.2 million Chinese tourists in the first eight months of the year, ATTA faced challenges in reaching the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s goal of hosting 5 million Chinese tourists in the same year. However, with the introduction of the free visa policy, achieving this target became more feasible, provided that over 700,000 Chinese visitors arrived each month.
ATTA’s president estimated that the free visa policy might be implemented from October, lasting for a period of either three or six months. He emphasized that a six-month duration would be ideal to encompass the Chinese New Year festival in February, a time when many Chinese travelers venture abroad. However, it is more likely that the government will initially opt for a three-month period to assess the policy’s impact before potentially extending it.
On the other hand, the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) remains skeptical about the policy’s ability to rapidly restore Chinese tourist numbers to pre-Covid levels. TTAA President Charoen Wang-ananon pointed out that China is currently experiencing an economic downturn, potentially hindering many Chinese from traveling abroad. Additionally, the Chinese government is still implementing strict screening measures for outbound travelers, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the government should consider implementing additional stimulus measures beyond the free visa policy and extending them to all potential markets to achieve the desired results.
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