Thailand’s Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, has unveiled plans to expand the nation’s visa-free travel program to include citizens from numerous additional countries. This decision follows recent initiatives where Thailand removed visa requirements for travelers from China and India, aiming to stimulate tourism, a crucial contributor to the economy of Southeast Asia’s second-largest nation.
The Prime Minister emphasized the significant economic impact of the visa waiver for Chinese nationals, noting a substantial boost in tourism activity. While underscoring the success of the program, Thavisin expressed intentions to extend similar privileges to citizens of several more countries, although specific details were not disclosed.
“We’re not only doing this for China; we’ll continue with several more countries,” stated Thavisin.
Statistics illustrate the positive effects 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 significant 48% increase compared to the previous year. Among these arrivals, tourists from China emerged as the leading source market.
With optimism for sustained growth, the Thai government anticipates a substantial rise in foreign visitor numbers for 2024, projecting between 34 to 35 million, up from approximately 28 million the previous year.
This forecast reflects the nation’s determination to surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, which reached a record high of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in 2019.
