PM asked to clarify what he means by ‘free visas’
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has called on Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to clarify his policy of providing “free visas” to Chinese tourists in a bid to boost tourism.
“Do you mean allowing Chinese to enter Thailand without having to apply for a visa, or waiving the visa application fee for them?” ATTA president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn asked the new PM on Thursday.
Sisdivachr said Srettha had mentioned the free visa policy during a meeting with CEOs of eight airlines earlier this month to discuss Thailand’s readiness to welcome foreign arrivals during the upcoming high season.
“The PM said offering free visas to Chinese arrivals would reduce obstacles and attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand,” he said. “We want clarification on how this measure will be implemented: does it involve offering visa-free access or just waiving the visa application fee?”
The ATTA president said that removing the visa requirement for Chinese will be similar to the policy that allows Thais to visit any Asean country without a visa.
“This measure has been discussed several times in the past,” said Sisdivachr. “However, the security agency has never approved, saying that the visa process helps deter particular groups of Chinese from coming in.”
He was referring to those aiming to engage in illegal business in Thailand.
Sisdivachr added that the waiving of the visa application fee had earlier been applied for a certain period.
“If Thailand is to bring back this policy for Chinese tourists, immigration agencies will need to streamline the application process as there will be an influx of arrivals,” he said.
Currently, Chinese visitors who wish to enter Thailand must apply for a visa at the embassy or consular office and pay a fee of 1,000 baht per person per time. Alternatively, they can apply for a visa on arrival at the immigration checkpoint and pay a fee of 2,000 baht per person per time.
The ATTA president also advised airlines to increase flight routes and frequency during the high season to facilitate increased Chinese tourist arrivals in line with the free visa policy.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set an ambitious goal of attracting 5.3 million Chinese tourists and generating 446 billion baht in revenue this year. However, the number of Chinese arrivals in the first six months was lower than expected, with only 1.6 million arrivals.
