The first cabinet meeting this week will discuss the planned visa-free policy for Chinese visitors, which is widely expected to be a powerful short-term tourism boost since the burden for those in charge of executing the measure is expected to increase.
The topic will be discussed in the first cabinet meeting following the swearing-in of the new ministers.
According to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Saturday, this demonstrates the government’s dedication to promoting tourism, one of the main sources of foreign cash for the nation.
Prior to its rollout on October 1, more precise information is anticipated to be fleshed out during the cabinet meeting. He made his remark as important tourism-producing areas prepared for the approaching visa-free travel for Chinese citizens.
A constructive note
The policy to promote Chinese tourists’ arrivals, who make up a sizable portion of foreign visitors, has been met with positive reaction from the tourism industry.
Mr. Srettha, who prioritizes tourism as a catalyst for economic growth, is praising the stimulus. His first assignment as premier was to explore Phuket in order to have first-hand knowledge of the state of the tourism industry.
In order to boost the tourism industry in the near future, he has proposed a temporary regulation that exempts Chinese visitors from needing visas. It is anticipated that it will remain in force through the end of the busiest travel period in the first quarter of 2019.
After being crippled for more than three years by the Covid-19 outbreak, the industry needs a boost.
Since the nation has occasionally waived the visa charge for Chinese tourists in the past, the program is seen as the most significant revitalization effort to date.
The Phuket immigration office’s chief, Pol Col Thanet Sukkachai, stated that the office had no issues with the visa-free program.
The administration oversees the so-called “white accommodation” program, which keeps tabs on where visitors are staying throughout the island province and fosters tighter ties between locals and tourist destinations.
increased workload
The protection of international visitors falls under the direct jurisdiction of the tourism police. However, local law enforcement will intervene to assist tourists with any problems relating to visa expirations or renewals.
After the introduction of the visa-free program, “We will work even harder.
According to Pol Col Thanet, “it comes with the territory of bringing in more foreign tourists by relaxing some of the rules.”
The policy necessitates more work that must be handled by state officials, he stressed.
At 60,000 last month, Chinese tourists were the largest foreign visitor group to Phuket, followed by Russians and Australians. Last month, Phuket welcomed 300,000 foreign guests.
The head of the immigration office claimed that by making visitors traceable, the government has been able to stop crimes and help tourists as and when they require it.
The system has accelerated Phuket’s development as a top travel destination.
A visa waiver, according to the Immigration Bureau (IB), might open a door for operators of contact center gangs, illegal businesses, and other transnational crimes to enter the country.
The bureau also warned that as it seeks to stop such elements from entering the nation, its burden will increase.
It is feared that the measure would make the line-up at the immigration desks worse.
Governor Nirat Pongsitthithaworn of Chiang Mai stated on Saturday that state agencies were gathering information on the benefits and drawbacks of regional tourism as well as ways to stimulate growth in the industry.
Nearly pre-pandemic levels are being reached by the province’s tourism rebound.
Chiang Mai’s tourism industry brought in 63 billion baht in the first eight months of this year.
By the end of the year, the governor predicted the figure will increase to 80 billion baht due to 8.8 million tourist visits.
In response to unfavorable perceptions of Thailand being spread on Chinese social media, particularly in regards to safety, Mr. Nirat stated steps were being taken to boost confidence. This has caused some people to be hesitant to travel.
The visa-free program would be helpful in accelerating the sluggish arrival rate of Chinese tourists.
Additionally, the Khon Kaen Chamber of Commerce’s honorary chairman, Kemchart Somjaiwong, claimed that the visa waiver will significantly revitalize the region given that Oct. 1 falls during the extended week-long celebration of China’s national day.
Up to the new year, the fourth quarter of the year is often a busy one for tourism.
The visa-free approach would necessitate more thorough visitor screening while also generating revenue for the tourism industry.
According to Mr. Kemchart, post-pandemic international travelers prefer to visit popular tourism provinces.
In order to divide the cash more equitably, he suggested that the government and the tourism industry promote other provinces.
That would guarantee that those involved in the commercial tourist environment benefited from the visa-free plan.
He stated that China should reciprocate the visa-free policy.
repairing damaged reputation
In the meantime, Soratheproj Pojanarat, the Thai Sang Thai Party’s deputy spokesman, urged the government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to act immediately to repair the bad press around the issue of tourist safety in Thailand.
He explained that the issue, if not addressed, will have a long-term negative effect and that safety concerns will undoubtedly outlive the visa-free program.
According to Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), cutting down on bureaucracy in the visa application process normally results in an 8.1% increase in travel, whereas a visa waiver doubles that amount. He cited data from the World Travel and Tourism Council for 2017.
The results are significant because 80% of all travelers worldwide travel using a visa on arrival (VOA).
He predicts that the visa-free initiative will increase Chinese tourism by 500,000 to 700,000 in the fourth quarter of this year.
The IB will need to run a successful immigration management system when this policy is implemented, he continued, in order to prevent crowding at border checkpoints.
According to Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT’s deputy governor for marketing communications, China has welcomed the proposed visa-free regime.
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