19-10-2023 (BANGKOK) The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming to include travellers from Taiwan and India in its visa waiver program if the visa-free entry for mainland Chinese tourists becomes a permanent arrangement. This proposal was put forward by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
During the signing of a letter of intent between the TAT and eight Chinese companies in Beijing, Mr Srettha mentioned that the temporary visa exemption for Chinese tourists, set to expire on February 29, could be extended indefinitely.
The Thai government is also determined to enhance safety and security measures to revive the Chinese market, according to Mr Srettha.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool stated that while the government considers visa policies for China, the agency is actively working towards improving the perception of Thailand among Chinese visitors. One of the main objectives is to dispel exaggerated concerns regarding travel safety.
To achieve this, the TAT has partnered with eight major Chinese companies, including Huawei Technologies, Trip.com Group, Meituan.com, Spring Airlines, Sina News, Alipay, iQIYI, and Jego Trip. These companies collectively possess a database covering 70-80% of the Chinese population and operate in various sectors such as finance, travel, entertainment, and communication. The collaboration aims to create a positive image of Thailand and counter any fake news circulating about the country.
Ms Thapanee emphasized that the TAT and its partner companies will share tourism-related information and generate content that promotes the positive aspects of Thailand.
Prime Minister Thavisin has instructed the TAT to actively promote trade, investment, and tourism. Consequently, the agency is considering opening a sixth office in Nanning, a southern Chinese city that serves as a gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Ms Thapanee revealed that the plan to expedite tourism growth may involve visa waivers for visitors from Taiwan and India. Additionally, there might be relaxed travel restrictions for Malaysian tourists entering via the land border. Currently, out of the 3.4 million Malaysians visiting Thailand, approximately 1 million arrive through the Sadao border checkpoint. Although this market does not require a visa, long queues on weekends have prompted a proposal to remove the TM6 immigration form requirement during those periods to ease tourist flows.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, the TAT deputy governor for Asia and the South Pacific, highlighted that if Thailand and China mutually agree to waive visa requirements, it would lead to an increase in seat capacity between the two markets. Airlines would be more inclined to add additional flights to meet the growing demand.
Business operators in Taiwan have requested Thailand to consider visa exemptions for visitors from the island, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing this matter.
Yang Xianghua, president of the movie and overseas business group at iQIYI, expressed the company’s interest in promoting tourism through film production. As China’s largest streaming platform and original content producer with 900 million monthly active users, iQIYI plans to shoot films in Thailand and produce Thai-language drama series for its platform, which has 30 million monthly active users outside China.
Ant International’s Chief Financial Officer, Yi Zhou, mentioned that their payment platform Alipay+ holds the largest share in China and has 20 e-wallet partners in Asia. This allows the company to engage users and promote Thai tourism among targeted groups, specifically those seeking shopping experiences.
Amanda Wang, Vice President of Global Destinations for Trip.com Group, reported an 800% surge in searches for Thai destinations on their platform following the visa exemption. The company plans to conduct promotional activities to attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand, focusing on the high-quality segment.
