Chinese Visitor Arrivals in Thailand Predicted to Exceed 4 Million

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reported yesterday that the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand might exceed 4 million this year thanks to initiatives such as a visa-free policy and tighter engagement with Chinese firms.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of TAT made the remarks at a press conference after TAT signed letters of intent for strategic agreements with several Chinese firms in the presence of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

These companies included Ant Group, Trip.com Group, Huawei, iQiyi, Jego Trip, Meituan, and Spring Airlines.

The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which Thavisin attended this week, wrapped up in China on Wednesday.

At the signing event, Thavisin remarked that more opportunities for cultural exchange and tourism between China and Thailand would strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries.

We envision a future where it is easier to have meaningful interactions with one another. Kiatphaibool the Thai officials who travelled to China [to attend the BRF] told the Global Times, were hoping to negotiate increased flight frequency between the two countries.

She pointed out that the Eastern Economic Corridor development strategies of Thailand and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by China, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, are complementary to one another.

Visa-free travel to Thailand for citizens of China begins on September 25 and continues until February of 2019. Kiatphaibool added, “there’s been an obvious gain” in Chinese travellers since the visa-free arrangement, and the TAT predicted that 4 million Chinese tourists will visit Thailand this year.

There were a total of 2.65 million Chinese tourists in Thailand between January and October 15 of this year, making China the country’s second-largest source of international tourists, after Malaysia.

Kiatphaibool predicted that by the end of the year, the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand would exceed 500,000 per month. “Thai authorities are also in discussions about extending the visa-free policy.”

Kiatphaibool addressed public worries about safety during the interview. The safety of Chinese tourists in Thailand is a top priority for the Thai government. Thai and Chinese authorities are in talks on police cooperation at popular tourist destinations.

Tongcheng Travel has found that this year has shown a clear rising trend in the number of tourists visiting BRI member nations. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Turkey are the five most popular tourist destinations among BRI countries.

While in China for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) on October 19th, Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Srettha Thavisin confirmed that Thailand was ready to cooperate in the tourism sector with prominent 8 Chinese partners.

The Kerry Hotel in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, was the site of the signing of the LOI for tourism cooperation.

Investment, tourism, art, culture, and maintaining the outstanding relations between the people of the two nations are all areas the Thai government places a high priority on, the Prime Minister added.

There’s an old adage about how China and Thailand are practically brothers and sisters; I’d just like to affirm that China is the eldest sibling. I’m crossing my fingers that this trip will yield some fruit for the tourism industry, like expanded visa waiver programmes.

Eight major Chinese companies—Ctrip, Ant Group (Alipay), Meituan, Huawei, Spring Airline, Sina News, iQIYI, and JekoTrip—have signed a Letter of Intent with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to form a strategic, long-term tourism collaboration.

It shows that Thailand is serious about working with other countries to improve their tourism infrastructure and attract more visitors.

About 2.2 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand between January and August 2023, taking advantage of the country’s unique visa exemption for travellers beginning in September.

Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai are well-known tourist sites in Thailand, but I encourage Chinese visitors to also check out the country’s less-visited secondary cities, which are home to stunning natural landscapes and fascinating cultural traditions. I can’t stress enough how friendly and secure a visit to Thailand will be for you. The Prime Minister has declared that his country is prepared to accommodate Chinese visitors.

Srettha had previously met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on October 18 to express his sorrow over the shooting death of a Chinese tourist in Bangkok’s Siam Paragon on October 3.

Nothing like this will ever happen again. Thailand’s security procedures are now among the most stringent in the world. However, I would like it if the Chinese side could offer some suggestions. The Thai Prime Minister has said that his country is “always concerned and ready to provide excellent service to Chinese tourists.”

On Thursday, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed his appreciation for the fact that a Chinese artist had performed a Thai song (Loi Krathong) during a welcoming function in Beijing. He also mentioned that he had shared his personal Chinese contact information.

Medical Tourism in Thailand: Quality Care in the Land of Smiles

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