Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed plans for an expansion of the nation's visa-free travel program to encompass citizens from many more countries.
This move follows recent initiatives where Thailand waived visa requirements for travellers from China and India, aiming to invigorate tourism, a pivotal contributor to the economy of Southeast Asia's second-largest nation.
The prime minister highlighted the significant impact of the visa waiver for Chinese nationals on the economy, indicating a substantial boost resulting from increased tourism activity. While emphasizing the success of the initiative, Thavisin expressed intentions to extend similar privileges to citizens of several more countries, although specific details were not provided.
"Not just for China, we'll continue to do this with several more countries."
Statistics demonstrate the positive outcomes of these measures, with Thailand experiencing a notable surge in foreign tourist arrivals. From January 1 to February 11, the country welcomed 4.39 million international visitors, marking a substantial 48% increase compared to the previous year. Among these arrivals, tourists from China emerged as the leading source market.
With optimism for continued growth, the Thai government anticipates a significant rise in foreign visitor numbers for the year 2024, between 34 to 35 million, an increase from approximately 28 million last year.
This forecast reflects the nation's determination to reclaim and surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, which saw a record high of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019.
