Published on : Thursday, November 1, 2018
Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak who heads the economic portfolio said that the measures in package would include a tax measure for jewellery purchases, a tourism package with free flights to second-tier tourist provinces and a waiver for visa-on-arrival. Somkid said that the measures would target mainly Chinese tourists for the sake of national income. The planned exemption will include the 2,000-baht visa-on-arrival fee, along with double-entry visas.
During the first nine months of the year, Thailand received 28.5 million international tourists, representing 8.7 percent year-on-year growth.
Travellers from China fell 12 percent in August, the biggest drop in more than a year, keeping the overall pace of visitor growth near a 16-month low after a tour boat capsized off Phuket in July which killed 47 Chinese tourists.
The Tourism Council of Thailand has predicted Chinese arrivals would plunge around a quarter to 1.9 million in October through December from a year earlier.
It is said that there used to be seven to 12 charter flights per day from China to Krabi, but now it is down to three flights per day with some having two to three people on board.