The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pushing for an increase in the visa quota for Chinese tourists as demand from China is rising and the sector is recovering. Currently, the Thai embassy in Beijing and eight consulates in China are only allowed to issue 84,000 visas for Chinese tourists via travel agencies per month.
TAT Regional Director of Marketing for East Asia Chuwit Sirivejkul said that TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn will meet with Foreign Ministry executives next week to discuss the issue. Chuwit added that the 84,000 visa quota will definitely not meet the rising demand as Thailand expects Chinese arrivals to rise to the pre-pandemic rate of 1 million per month.
From January 1 to April 30, 843,920 Chinese tourists landed in Thailand, accounting for 10% of foreign arrivals during that period. The trend reaffirms TAT’s prediction that this year will see 5.3 million Chinese arrivals, generating 446 billion baht in revenue for the country. Chuwit noted that the number of arrivals will possibly grow to 7 million if there are enough flights and a higher visa quota.
The TAT regional director added that from the end of March to late October, 33,843 flights with 6.13 million seats will have flown between Thailand and China. This does not include the large number of chartered flights expected from July to October. Apart from getting a visa from the embassy or consulates, Chinese tourists can also get a visa on arrival, but it is more expensive and only allows a stay of 14 days. Visa on arrival costs 2,000 baht while getting one from the embassy costs 1,200 baht. (NNT)
