Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin reaffirmed his commitment to moving quickly on visa-free travel in talks with tourism industry figures on Tuesday.
The visa-free scheme is among a number of initiatives to attract visitors, especially from China, from now until February to give tourism — and the economy — a lift.
Mr Srettha said he had assigned officials to work out tourism stimulus measures for immediate as well as long-term adoption.
Immigration police were instructed to find ways to take care of visitors if their numbers surge as authorities hope.
The measures will deal with ease of travel and security, as well as promotion of the country through many channels including influencers and online travel agencies.
The measures were discussed at a meeting at parliament attended by tourism industry executives and officials including Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol.
Thanes Phetsuwan, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said visa-free entry would be expanded to include visitors from China and Kazakhstan. Currently nationals of more than 60 countries benefit from the programme.
The visa-free scheme allows visitors from selected countries to arrive without having to apply for a visa beforehand or pay a visa fee.
Ms Sudawan said earlier that 2.23 million Chinese people had arrived so far this year, generating 100 billion baht in revenue for the country during their stays.
Measures to attract visitors would stimulate the economies of large and small cities in the country, she added.
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