The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates the government's plan to issue free visas to visitors from China will add 700,000 arrivals during the high season.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Friday that 350,000 to 400,000 Chinese visit Thailand per month, with the tally for the first eight months this year at 2.1 million.
Thailand was visited by about 3% of all outbound tourists from mainland China, representing the largest share among foreign destinations. This figure does not include visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, said Ms Thapanee.
She said Chinese tourists on average spent 40,000 baht per trip.
During the first half of 2023, 40.3 million Chinese tourists travelled abroad and 93% of them chose short-haul destinations.
Ms Thapanee said new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s plan to offer free visas would attract more tourists in the fourth quarter, as the TAT prepares to support the addition of more flights between the two countries.
Chuwit Sirivejkul, regional director of marketing for East Asia at TAT, said the free visa policy should be implemented within the first two weeks of September so operators can promote their packages for China’s national holiday in October.
He said this long holiday is usually a peak period and generates even more traffic than the New Year holiday.
The TAT, Consular Affairs Department and Tourism Department signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday to establish a system that allows inbound tourist data to synchronise between each organisation.
Ruj Thammongkol, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, said the system would help reduce the approval time required for tourist visas, especially for Chinese tourists travelling in large tour groups.
The system automatically verifies a visitor's information by using application programming interface linkage technology through TAT’s Visa Pre-Screening System. It can cross-check Chinese government data to ensure the tourist actually purchased a flight ticket or tour package.
Thai travel agents that partner with a Chinese tour company need to add each tourist's information and itinerary details to the Tourism Department's job order system. The e-visa system can verify the traveller's details automatically via the shared system.
In the best-case scenario, visas can be approved in three working days, down from seven days at present. A test run of the system is continuing through next week and it is expected to be fully operational later this month.
Regarding the free visa plan, the Consular Affairs Department is awaiting an official announcement. In 2022, the department gained roughly 1.1 billion baht in revenue from all types of visas issued, including tourists and long-stay visitors.
