Thailand plans visa-free travel expansion to stimulate tourism

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed the government’s intent to extend visa-free travel to citizens of several additional countries. This development follows Thailand’s recent decision to waive visas for Chinese and Indian citizens, an attempt to stimulate the tourism sector, a vital component of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

During Wednesday’s meeting at Government House, PM Srettha and Australia’s Governor-General, David Hurley, contemplated the idea of implementing a reciprocal visa exemption scheme. The initiative aims to ease travel and business activities between the two nations’ citizens.

Additionally, the Thai government expressed hope for visa-free travel arrangements with the Schengen-visa states of Europe. The Thai PM made this disclosure on Monday.

Last year, Thailand attracted approximately 28 million foreign tourists, generating a revenue of 1.2 trillion baht. However, these figures fall significantly short of the nearly 40 million visitors and 1.9 trillion baht income achieved in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. These statistics are provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, reported Bangkok Post.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) stated that Malaysians formed the largest group of tourists in Thailand, with around 4.5 million visitors last year. Chinese tourists made up the second-largest group with about 3.51 million visitors.

However, as of February 1 of this year, Chinese visitors exceeded 533,000, outpacing arrivals from Malaysia which stood at over 337,000 and South Korea at more than 229,000. Before the pandemic in 2019, the Chinese comprised the largest group of visitors at approximately 11 million.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is optimistic that the country can attract 35 million foreign visitors this year, considering that 3 million tourists arrived in January alone.

In related news, the Thai government aimed to expand visa-free travel for Thai passport holders, sparking debates over security and economic benefits. Collaboration sought for international relations.

Vice-President of the Thai Travel Agents Association, Phumiphiphat Meesamran, urged the government to press for additional visa exemptions with European nations, the UK, the US, and Australia. Despite these countries enjoying 30-day visa-free entry to Thailand, Thais face hurdles when seeking reciprocal access.