The new Thai government is considering visa exemption for Chinese and Indian tourists
Recently, Thailand's newly appointed Prime Minister Seth Thaksin is considering providing visa free services for Chinese and Indian tourists. Some analysts believe that relevant policies may be introduced before October or November.
Tourism operators and analysts believe that the lengthy visa application process is one of the bottlenecks for traveling to Thailand, and the introduction of visa free policies will accelerate the recovery of the Thai tourism industry. In addition, Sisdiwachi, Chairman of the Thai Travel Agency Association, stated that the urgent issues currently include how to attract more Chinese tourists and reiterated that Thailand is a safe destination.
Tannen Sado Water Market in Bangkok, Thailand. The water market is a symbol of tourism in Thailand. Visual China Data Map
According to market analysts from Thailand's Kaitai Securities, the average waiting time for Chinese tourists to obtain Thai tourist visas in the first half of this year was nearly 15 days. This visa allows them to stay in Thailand for a maximum of 60 days. In addition, Chinese and Indian tourists can also apply for a landing visa, which costs 2000 Thai baht and allows for a stay of 15 days, provided that the established requirements are met.
Analysts say that the new Thai government is expected to introduce visa free policies for Chinese and Indian tourists before the peak tourism season starting in November. However, according to economists at Kaitai Securities, it is expected that the relevant visa free measures may be introduced in a timely manner during China's National Day holiday starting on October 1st, when many Chinese people may travel abroad.
It is expected that Thailand will welcome more than 30 million international tourists this year, almost three times the number last year, but this number is still lower than the 40 million before the COVID-19 outbreak.