The government has announced additional relaxation for tourist visa requirements and a reduction in the length of time needed for visa approvals for Chinese visitors to further accommodate tourists who plan to visit Thailand.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek stated that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with the steady rise in tourist arrivals, especially over the long holiday from July 31 to August 6, when Thailand welcomed an average of 80,000 international tourists per day. Authorities reported that 95,581 Chinese visitors arrived in Thailand last week, followed by 73,810 Malaysians, 37,754 South Koreans, 27,707 Indians, and 25,717 Vietnamese tourists.
Since the beginning of the year, the country has welcomed more than 16 million visitors, with Malaysia, China, South Korea, India, and Russia ranking as the top five visitor countries.
In order to further accommodate Chinese visitors, the government has announced new visa requirements for Chinese tourists who want to travel to Thailand. The new requirements will only include their passport, three photographs, an air ticket, a document showing their accommodation in Thailand, a document certifying their permanent residence, and financial statements. The application procedure will be shortened from 14 to 7 working days due to the reduction of required documents.
The spokesperson added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports are working to integrate their tourist visa application database systems. This would accelerate the procedure for all foreign visitors, providing them with quicker and more efficient visa processing services. (NNT)
