Despite the offer of visa exemptions, the Chinese, Taiwanese and Indian markets have yet to record a quick recovery, say tourism operators.

The government gave visa exemptions for Chinese visitors from Sept 25, but some Chinese view Thailand as unsafe and the mainland has posted weak economic growth, said Thanet Supornsahasrungsi of Sunshine Hotels and Resorts.

The slow resumption of flights has also affected travel to Thailand, said Mr Thanet.

He said tourists with high spending power chose European destinations rather than Thailand during this high season.

Mr Thanet said it is unlikely the Chinese market will reach 4 million arrivals this year.

Taiwanese were granted a visa exemption from Nov 10, which he said should increase arrivals from this market, which has grown following the pandemic.

The Taiwanese government requested a visa exemption for some time as there were around 2,000 Taiwanese tourists applying for visas to Thailand daily, said Mr Thanet.

However, the visa exemption for the Indian market might have a paltry effect because of limited seat capacity, while the fourth and first quarters usually are not the high season for this market, said the Thai Hotels Association.

While Thailand is known for Indian incentive and wedding groups, the association said those trips typically occur during the end of the year, requiring advanced booking of at least six months.

Moreover, a 20% outbound tax imposed on Indian tourists still poses a challenge, it said.