The Tourism and Sports Ministry plans to seek the cabinet’s approval for a scheme to offer visa exemptions to visitors from China and India for one year.

If the idea is approved, it will become effective from the start of November through Oct 31, 2020, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

"Free visas is the ministry's most urgent stimulus policy, without which tourism arrival growth might not reach our target," Mr Phiphat said.

The visa exemption will allow travel in Thailand for 15 days.

Tourism has been weakened because of the slow global economy. The ministry reports 19.76 million tourists visited Thailand in the first half, a rise of just 1.48% from the same period of 2018.

The number of visitors from China, Thailand’s biggest tourism market, fell by 4.73% over the period to 5.65 million.

Visitor numbers from India, however, soared to 978,785 -- up 24.1% year-on-year.

Mr Phiphat said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha agrees with the scheme and believes visa exemptions are more efficient in boosting tourism than extending the waiver of visa-on-arrival (VOA) fees for these two countries.

China and India are among 21 nations that benefited from the 2,000-baht VOA fee waiver. Mr Phiphat said the ministry will also propose extending the waiver for the other 19 nations until Oct 31, 2020, one more year than previously scheduled.