On the first day of visa exemption, Chinese tourists were personally greeted by the Prime Minister of Thailand
Cultural latitude and longitude
25.09.2023
In order to promote tourism, Thailand will implement a five-month visa-free policy for Chinese tourists starting from September 25. The recent scam movie “All or Nothing” has scared away many Chinese people from traveling to Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Seetha personally went to the airport to welcome the first batch of visa-free Chinese tourists and promised to ensure their safety.
(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) September 25 is the first day that Thailand implements visa-free entry for Chinese tourists. The first batch of Chinese tourists arriving in Bangkok were personally welcomed by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
The first batch of Chinese tourists arriving in Bangkok were personally welcomed by Thai Prime Minister Settar (picture)
In order to promote tourism, the Thai government has implemented a phased visa-free policy for Chinese tourists. Chinese citizens holding passports and travel documents can enter Thailand without a visa and stay no more than 30 days. This policy will last until February 29, 2023, for a period of 5 months.
According to Agence France-Presse, surrounded by a welcoming team dancing traditional dances, Thai Prime Minister Seetha smiled and gave welcome gifts to tourists arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport from Shanghai.
“Our welcome ceremony surprised me, and I’m very happy. It gave me a good start for my trip,” 31-year-old tourist Zhuang Pan told an AFP reporter.
Jin Li, who came to Thailand for her honeymoon, said the visa-free program is great. She also took a photo with her new husband and Prime Minister Seta.
“I don’t have to worry, I can travel wherever I want, just book a ticket and go,” she recounts.
Many factors have hit Thailand’s tourism industry
Before the epidemic, Chinese people accounted for the largest proportion of tourists traveling to Thailand.20% of Thailand’s GDP comes from tourism.
The picture shows a large number of Chinese tourists arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan Province, Thailand, on September 25, 2023.
Travel restrictions in the context of epidemic prevention have dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry, and due to the global economic difficulties, Thailand’s tourism industry has also been very slow to recover after the epidemic.
Coupled with the recent hotly debated movie “All or Nothing” in China, it has also dealt a blow to Thailand’s tourism industry.The film tells the story of a young man who went out to work for a seemingly lucrative job opportunity, but accidentally fell into a scam and was forced to work for a Southeast Asian online fraud group.
Zheng Zhengzhou, 36, said that he knew there were certain dangers in traveling to Thailand, and also mentioned “All or Nothing” – a movie that scared away many tourists.
“It would be a lie to say that we are not worried about (security issues) at all,” he said.
Thai Prime Minister Seetha has previously stated that he will ensure the safety of tourists, emphasizing that the safety of tourists in Thailand is the top priority. “From the moment tourists set foot on Thai soil until they leave, they must enjoy all-round safety and get the best possible travel experience.”
The Thai Tourism Police also welcomed Chinese tourists and provided them with detailed information about the 24-hour police hotline.
September 25th is the first day that Thailand implements visa-free entry for Chinese tourists.
“Today is a great first day for Thailand”
This limited-time visa-free program will be implemented before China’s “National Day Golden Week” and will last until after next year’s Spring Festival holiday.
Seta said that after the introduction of the visa-free policy, the number of travel orders to Thailand has increased “tenfold”. He expressed his belief that this will inject a shot in the arm into the Thai economy.
He added: “Today is a good first day for Thailand, and we hope that our other policies will continue to stimulate the economy.”
(AFP)
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Cultural Latitude | 26.10.2019
2023-09-25 12:44:37
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