| An employee displays Thai tourism brochures at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand, January 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Rashin Sagimsak) |
Thailand on Monday warmly welcomed the first Chinese tourists to enter the country without a visa, marking the launch of a new Bangkok initiative to revitalize the Chinese tourism market.
A total of 341 visitors from Shanghai (eastern China) arrived this morning at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where they were welcomed with flowers and applause by the newly appointed Prime Minister, Sritha Thavisin, and several senior Thai officials.
“This is a promising first day for Thailand as we welcome Chinese tourists under the new visa-free entry policy,” Sreetha said during the welcome ceremony at the airport.
The Southeast Asian country recently announced its decision to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from September 25 until the end of February 2024, in line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to improving Thailand’s economy through tourism.
“We are confident that this plan will significantly boost the economy,” Sreetha said.
According to the latest data issued by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, from January 1 to September 17 this year, the country recorded the entry of more than 2.34 million Chinese tourists, about 37 percent over the same period in 2019.
With the help of the plan, the authorities hope to double the current number, and expect between 4.01 and 4.4 million Chinese visitors by 2023.
(Web Editor: 吴思萱, Zhao Jian)
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