Chinese tourists now get visa waivers

Good news for Chinese travellers in Thailand, from August 7th onwards they will be have their visa fees waivered when visiting the Kingdom. Previously these had cost them 200 yuan (1,000 baht).

Announced on the Ministry of Foreign affairs website, the visas will now be free of charge, benefitted three million Chinese tourists who will visit Thailand in 2014. It should be noted that the visa still needs to be obtained, although this can include a visa-on-arrival upon landing at the international airports or arriving at border crossings.

A total visa waiver, to match the privilege extended to some 40 other nations is yet to be implemented, with the ministry still studying the impact of such a move. Removing the fee is a gesture of goodwill towards a regional neighbour with a big interest in visiting Thailand, commented a source at the ministry.

There has been an influx of Chinese in recent years, doubling each year to now account for nearly 20% of all tourists, some four million in 2013. That number will not be topped in 2014 due to political unrest and the discontinuation of so-called zero-yuan shopping trips that accounted for so many visitors.

Officials are concerned that dropping the visa requirement will result in a flood of tourists which the tourist industry will be unable to cope with. Already there are fears that too many Chinese, particularly, are making up the numbers of Thailand’s all important tourist industry.

The waivering of the fee applies only to tourists, and extends to nationals of Mainland China as well as Taiwanese.

Source