Thais eager to welcome Chinese travellers in post-COVID rebound
Thai business owners geared up on Friday (January 6) to welcome Chinese travellers back to their country, days before the world's second largest economy opens its borders.
Without the need for pre-entry COVID-19 tests, Thailand's tourist economy is set to join other Southeast Asian nations to be leading beneficiaries of China's end to their border control rules.
Thailand is expecting at least five million Chinese tourist arrivals this year, about half the number recorded before the coronavirus pandemic, as China reopens its borders from Sunday (January 8), the government tourism body said on Tuesday (January 3).
"It's (the economy) likely to recover. At least, when they (Chinese tourists) come, they eat, buy and travel around, and money is being spent. At least, when they use my tuk-tuk service, I will get the income. But even if not, they are shopping, eating, travelling and so on, the money will still circulate (within the economy)." 41-Year old TUK-TUK Driver, Pramoch Jubklang said.
The return of Chinese tourists would be a further boost to Thailand's economy and its vital tourism sector. More than 11 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2019, nearly a third of the total.
