Thailand Promotes Music, Sports, and Festivals to Boost Tourism

(CTN News) – The Board of Investment (BOI) has approved the promotion of “Music, Sports, and International Festival Businesses” to promote Thailand as a global destination and tourism center.

Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary-General of the Board of Investment (BOI), stated that the promotion aims to decrease barriers such as visas and event equipment charges to attract tourists and promote the economy.

To be eligible for promotion, each event must spend at least 100 million baht, secure exemptions on import duties for equipment, and have access to visa facilitation and work permits through a One-Stop Service. This is consistent with the “Ignite Thailand” objective of elevating the country to the global level.

Furthermore, the BOI has approved the expansion of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry to support the shift in production bases by boosting promoted activities and strengthening the PCB cluster in Thailand. This will strengthen the electronics manufacturing base and spur growth among Thai enterprises.

Thailand is currently ASEAN’s largest PCB production hub, supported by the BOI. With a strong potential to become a global leader in electronics manufacturing, these enhancements and promotions will substantially impact the country’s economy and industries.

ORIGINAL STORY: Thailand Gets Aggressive on Tourism With 35 Million Visitor Target

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry is confident that the country will welcome 35 million foreign visitors this year, with 3 million arriving in the first month. Tourism operators claim expensive tour packages will not deter Chinese tourists from second-tier towns.

According to Kitti Chaodee, secretary to the tourism and sports ministry, Thailand received over 90,000 daily visitors during the week and more than 100,000 on weekends in January, indicating a strong start to the year.

This year, the government is offering a variety of incentives, including visa-free schemes for all exempted nations, the suspension of TM6 immigration forms at Thai-Malaysian border checkpoints, and tourism marketing in second-tier cities.

Chinese tourists were 533,450 as of February 1, with Malaysian arrivals at 337,729 and South Korean arrivals at 229,517.

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), stated airfares for China-Thailand routes remain higher than in 2019, with round-trip tickets costing 4,000-5,000 yuan (about 20,000 baht) during Chinese New Year.

However, he stated that more expensive airfares and tour packages were not a deterrent for Chinese travelers from second-tier cities, as many of them were willing to spend their savings on exceptional vacations…Read More