Positive outlook for Thai tourism after mutual visa exemption with China came into force

[webfact]

 

This Monday marks one month since the visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China took effect.  According to Vichai Mongkolchaichawan, the vice president of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the outlook is positive.

 

During the period leading up to the start of the scheme “the number of searches for Thailand tourism on Baidu for January and February, surged by 48%”, Vichai said.

 

Most of these searches were by users in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Hunan, Shanghai and Beijing.

 

Vichai was speaking at a forum, entitled ‘Thai – China Visa Free Scheme, Long-lasting Friendship and Prospering Economy’, hosted by the Thai-Chinese Journalists’ Association (TCJA).

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-04-01

 

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[DonniePeverley]

Chinese tourism has resumed all around the world late 2023. 

 

There was no need to cancel the income from visa fees (which go into the billions), and the ensuing problems of visa waivers. Simply put they panicked for no reason at all. Once the covid situation resolved in China, outbound tourism were always going to resume. 

 

There is simply no evidence the stimulus had any effect. Otherwise why would the same volume of tourists be returning to Europe, America at the exact same time the tourist returned to Thailand ?

 

Simply put ... where do you plug the hole that you have spent on wiping away the visa fees? Furthermore, you have now basically opened up the country to mass cheap tourism, instead of quality tourism (the exact type of tourism you strived not to repeat after covid). 

 

To repeat it for Indian tourists was simply scandalous. Naive to the chore to simply want MASS tourism. Eventually the local population won't like it. You see the signs now. 

Edited March 31 by DonniePeverley

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

During the period leading up to the start of the scheme “the number of searches for Thailand tourism on Baidu for January and February, surged by 48%”, Vichai said.

Searches.... nuff said.

Not confirmed bookings

[newbee2022]

I'm afraid there will come a wave of criminals....😵‍💫