Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has announced that his government intends to extend visa-free travel privileges to citizens of many new countries.
After recently eliminating visa requirements for travelers from China and India, Thailand is attempting to stimulate further its tourism sector, a major contributor to the country’s economy, VisaGuide.World reports.
Starting from March 1, Thais and Chinese citizens can travel freely between these two countries, following a previous agreement. Thailand’s strategic move to attract more Chinese travelers includes establishing a permanent visa-free policy. Introduced initially as a temporary measure in September last year and scheduled to end on February 29, 2024, the country has opted to make this policy a permanent fix.
The efficacy of the visa waiver policy has already been demonstrated, as evidenced by an influx of over 22,000 Chinese nationals into Thailand within the initial two days of its implementation, as reported by local media sources.
According to Reuters, Thailand has experienced growth in the tourism industry since the beginning of visa-free policies. As a result, from January 1 to February 11, it recorded a remarkable 48 percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals compared to the previous year, with China emerging as the main source market.
The government has also set ambitious targets for tourist arrivals in 2024, aiming to welcome approximately 34 to 35 million visitors—an increase from the 28 million recorded in 2023.
Before the pandemic, Thailand witnessed a record high of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019, underscoring the country’s appeal as a top tourist destination.
Recognizing the key role of tourism in driving its economy forward, Thailand welcomed 28 million foreign tourists in 2023, with notable contributions from Malaysia (4.4 million visitors) and China (3.4 million visitors).
With aspirations to further improve its tourism revenue stream, Thailand has set its sights on generating 3.5 trillion baht ($100 billion) in 2024. As part of a broader strategy to revitalize tourism, it also recently planned to waive visa requirements for visitors from India and Taiwan starting from December 2023 to May 2024. In this regard, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates an additional influx of 700,000 new arrivals to the country through the visa waiver program.
As of February 2024, the Thai passport holds the 107th position in the global passport ranking, as reported by the VisaGuide Passport Index. This ranking offers Thai citizens the privilege of visa-free travel to 47 countries around the world. However, for entry to 118 countries, Thai passport holders are required to undergo a visa application process before their travel. They also need an eVisa for 29 countries.
