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Thailand
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Thailand looks to lure back Chinese tourists by easing visa rules to score US$100 billion in tourism revenue

  • There are hopes that scrapping visa application fees would entice back more of the 11 million Chinese travellers who visited Thailand pre-pandemic
  • But amid China’s economic woes, some tourism officials are more interested in attracting big-spending Russians, Belarusians and Kazakhs instead

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Chinese tourists pose for a photograph on a beach in Thailand’s Phang-Nga province in early 2020, before pandemic-era restrictions brought a halt to most international travel. Photo: Reuters
Bloomberg
Thailand is likely to ease visa rules for Chinese and Indian travellers and allow longer stays for visitors from all nations as new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin looks for ways to boost tourism revenue to nearly US$100 billion next year.
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Chinese tourists – the largest group of visitors before the pandemic – face a costly and cumbersome visa-application process, which has been a drag on the tally this year, according to the prime minister.
Meanwhile, travellers from India must pay 2,000 baht (US$57) for a 15-day visa on arrival. Srettha said he wants the list of visa-exempt countries expanded as well as increased stay limits for most international travellers, with caps of 15 days or 30 days for many nationalities.
Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok earlier this year. Chinese tourist arrivals to the Thai resort island of Phuket are currently only 30 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, a tourism official said. Photo: EPA-EFE
Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok earlier this year. Chinese tourist arrivals to the Thai resort island of Phuket are currently only 30 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, a tourism official said. Photo: EPA-EFE

Srettha discussed options with executives of Airports of Thailand Pcl and several airlines on Monday, with the near-term aim of attracting more foreigners in the fourth quarter, typically the peak season for tourism. The airport operator agreed to reduce bottlenecks to augment flight capacity by 20 per cent and find ways to speed up immigration clearances, Srettha said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The new government aims to lift revenue from foreign tourists to 3.3 trillion baht (US$94 billion) next year, with the travel industry offering “the best short-term economic stimulus”, Srettha said.

Tourism accounts for about 12 per cent of gross domestic product and nearly one-fifth of jobs, according to Bank of Thailand data.

Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourism Association, said the message about scrapping the application fee for visitors from China and India has been conveyed to the prime minister during a weekend meeting in the island province that included travel-sector leaders.

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