Thailand’s proposed visa waiver for Chinese, Indian tourists sparks economic revival hopes, over-tourism fears

According to Mr Pruangkarn, China is a source market for countries in the region and they too want to attract more Chinese tourists.

To stay competitive, he said Thailand should market its sustainability efforts and develop medium to long-term plans to make sure it remains an attractive destination for travellers, who are becoming more socially conscious when making travel decisions.

“If they see a crowded destination, they’re going to most likely say ‘You know what, I’m going to avoid Bangkok. I’m avoiding Phuket.’. Environmentally, if it just looks horrible, they’re going to avoid it,” he explained.

Currently, tourists from 57 countries and territories can enter Thailand and stay up to 30 days without a visa. There are currently no countries in the Southeast Asian region with visa exemption for Chinese tourists.

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According to Mr Srettha, a former property tycoon, talks about immigration and capacity of terminals and runways had also been held with Airports of Thailand Plc in preparation for increased arrivals.

“We strongly hope that tourism will be the quickest way to open doors for great income for Thailand during the high season, which is approaching,” the Thai prime minister wrote on Facebook on Monday.

Nevertheless, the visa waiver plan has rekindled concerns among market observers. They caution that the incentive could bring back over-tourism and further damage the environment – problems that already existed before the pandemic.

“Industry stakeholders should be aware of that – the environmental damage that would come with over-tourism, the congestion that would happen, the traffic. Does Thailand have the capacity to handle that?” said Mr Pruangkarn.

Still, he acknowledged the country’s urgent need to recoup the massive losses caused by the pandemic, urging stakeholders to think strategically how tourism can stimulate the economy and benefit the local communities and the environment at the same time.

“There is no one solution that fits all,” he said.