Thailand will not consider reducing or exempting visa on arrival fees for Chinese tourists this year
Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Wilasa said recently that the current situation of Chinese tourists to Thailand is stable and that visa fee reductions for Chinese tourists will not be considered for the time being this year.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Som Ki announced on October 17 that he has instructed relevant departments to implement a free visa on arrival policy for 21 countries including China in the last two months of this year. This move is to attract more overseas tourists and reverse the situation. The decline in the number of Chinese tourists due to the shipwreck in Phuket. Many Thai Chinese media reported the news, saying that Chinese tourists to Thailand in November and December will not have to pay the 2,000 baht (approximately 425 yuan) visa on arrival fee.
Willassa clarified that they will discuss this issue, but it is unlikely that this plan will be implemented within this year. He said that the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand began to rebound during the "Eleventh" Golden Week after three consecutive months of decline from July to September, with a year-on-year increase of 2.77%. He is optimistic about the situation of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for the Spring Festival next year.
Willasa said that the reduction or exemption of visa fees on arrival may not have much effect in attracting tourists. Thailand will pay more attention to improving service quality in the future.