Thailand sees Chinese tourism soar as visa requirement dropped

[webfact]

 

Less bureaucracy and more flights are luring Chinese visitors back to Thailand in a boost to the tourism industry

 

Bangkok, Thailand – Bangkok’s Chinatown, lit up by red-lanterns and decorative banners to celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays, is bustling.

 

As the region welcomed the Year of the Dragon last weekend, ethnic Chinese Thais thronged temples to light candles and pray for good fortune.

 

Inside the glowing red interior of Wat Mangkon Kamalawat – the largest Chinese temple in Bangkok – women wore traditional cheongsam dresses and took photos with their loved ones.

 

Outside, in the hustle and bustle of Yaowarat Road, lion dancers performed as visitors – Thais and legions of tourists – crowded the street, sampling the food and shopping from stalls in the market.

 

Many were from China, with official figures showing hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals chose to spend the holiday, which began on February 10, in Thailand where they no longer need to get a visa.

 

By Tommy Walker

Picture: Visitors admire the decorations on Bangkok's Yaowarat Road [Tommy Walker/Al Jazeera]

 

Full story: AL JAZEERA 2024-02-16

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[hotchilli]

All Hail China.... 

[mr_lob]

Shame 😔