Tourism operators in Thailand have requested that the government reduce the visa-free duration of stay for Chinese nationals to address concerns regarding illegal employment. Conversely, the Tourism Council of Thailand has also requested the government address transnational crimes and scams.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, stated on Monday that the case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was lured to Myanmar by scammers via the Thai border, has caused local tourism operators to become more concerned about foreign scammers who have been exploiting the visa-free scheme, which currently allows for a 60-day stay in Thailand.
She stated that the private sector desired the government to reduce the length of stay from 60 days to 15 days, which is more appropriate when considering the average length of stay in the Chinese market.
Proposal Submitted
Ms. Thapanee stated that the Chinese market should not be significantly impacted if the government approves of this proposal, as these visitors tend to travel more frequently, with each trip lasting seven to ten days, rather than taking a long holiday.
Nevertheless, the Tourism Authority of Thailand opposed this solution, as it would not resolve the issue, even though some private sector parties also requested that the government cancel the permanent visa-free scheme.
Ms. Thapanee stated that the agency has not officially submitted this proposal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the Thailand Tourism Authority board’s committee, including a Foreign Ministry representative, will address this matter at the meeting.
“Maintaining visa-free stays for Chinese still benefits the tourism industry rather than creating a negative impact, particularly opportunities to boost the number of tourists and flights from China’s second-tier cities with convenient entry,” according to her.
The Tourism Ministry intends to attract 8.8 million to 9 million Chinese tourists this year and 39 million to 40 million foreign tourists.
Chinese Cancelling Holidays
In January, the Thai Hotels Association reported that 4,572 room nights booked by Chinese tourists in hotels throughout Thailand were cancelled, with Bangkok recording 2,001 cancelled room nights.
The cancellation of 7,856 room nights was due to the negative sentiment regarding safety in Thailand, which also affected other foreign markets.
According to Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, the safety concerns have impacted the Chinese market and other Asian travellers, who are more susceptible to this factor than tourists from Western nations.
According to Mr. Ratchaporn, the Tourism Council of Thailand proposed establishing a “Chinese-friendly” standard for operators during a discussion with the Tourism Authority of Thailand last week.
This standard would be in partnership with the Thailand-China Tourism Association, which has already approved a list of 200 tourism companies that guarantee safety standards.
“In the long run, the government must seriously solve scams and human trafficking issues to prevent similar impacts in the future,” he emphasized.
Mr Ratchaporn also suggested that the government reinstate international concerts, as it had previously cancelled events such as Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s concert, to regain the trust of fan clubs and their members.
