Visa exemptions yet to make a difference
published : 9 Nov 2023 at 11:58
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Molpasorn Shoowong
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.
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Vocabulary
- association: an official group of people who have joined together for a particular purpose - สมาคม
- exemption: permission to not have to do something, such as making a payment, following a rule, etc. - ข้อยกเว้น
- mainland: a large mass of land that forms the main part of a country but does not include any islands belonging to the country - แผ่นดินใหญ่
- market (noun): business or trade, or the amount of trade in a particular type of goods - ตลาด, กลุ่มผู้ซื้อ, ความต้องการสินค้า
- outbound (adj): travelling towards a particular point, particularly away from a city, country, etc. - ขาออก (opposite of inbound ขาเข้า)
- paltry: a very small amount -
- resumption (noun): the act of beginning something again after it has stopped - การเริ่มต้นใหม่
- visa: an official document or mark in your passport that allows you to enter or leave a country for a specific purpose or period of time - วีซ่า, เอกสารอนุมัติที่ประทับตราบนหนังสือเดินทาง