The government proposed the visa exemption measure due to concern that the number of Chinese tourists might be lower than expected this year because of strict visa requirements.
The target number of arrivals from China had been revised from 5 million to 3 million after a report from the state Tourism Authority of Thailand that around 1.4 million Chinese tourists came in the first six months.
Tourism Authority Director Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Monday that the authorities were confident the number of Chinese arrivals could hit 4 million-to-5 million after the visa-free program was introduced. Thailand’s economy slumped during the pandemic as its huge tourism industry virtually collapsed. The country received about 40 million visitors in 2019, and the government estimated they spent 1.9 trillion baht — an amount that plummeted by more than 99% by 2021, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Chai Wacharonke, a spokesperson for the prime minister, earlier said that Thailand received 15 million international visitors in the first seven months. He said the government aims to draw 28 million tourists and generate 1.4 trillion baht in revenue in 2023.
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