Foreign arrivals are expected to increase sharply during the Chinese New Year holiday, according to Airports of Thailand (AOT).
AOT director Kirati Kijmanawat said on Tuesday that the number of passengers flying into Thailand is expected to jump by 206%, compared to the same period last year, as the country has now fully reopened to foreign visitors.
He said the government's visa-free policy for tourists from countries including China has given the industry a much-needed boost.
Thailand is allowing visitors from Kazakhstan and China to stay for 30 days visa-free until Feb 29.
Meanwhile, Russian passport holders can stay in Thailand for 90 days until April 30, while Indian and Taiwanese tourists can also enjoy a 30-day stay until May 10.
On Jan 28, Thailand and China signed an agreement on a reciprocal visa-free scheme that will take effect from March 1.
Under the agreement, holders of valid, ordinary Thai passports and Chinese holders of passports for public affairs and ordinary passports will be exempt from visa requirements for entering, exiting or transiting the other country for up to 30 days.
Mr Kirati also said that self-check-in kiosks had been installed at AOT's six international airports -- Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Chiang Rai -- so that passengers can check in up to six hours in advance. Suvarnabhumi has 210 self-check-in kiosks while 50 are available at Don Mueang, Mr Kirati said, adding passengers can save time and avoid long queues as the service only takes a few minutes.
He said about 17% of passengers use the self-check-in system, and AOT plans to increase the number to 50%.
On Monday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made a surprise visit to Suvarnabhumi airport and instructed officials to speed up immigration and baggage claim procedures for travellers.
Mr Srettha later posted a message on X (Twitter) saying passengers should take no more than 30 minutes to pass through immigration and should also have to wait less time to collect their luggage. His visit came ahead of planned upgrades to airports and the aviation sector across the country, to start in March.