Southeast Asia's second largest economy urged to shorten visa-free stay for Chinese tourists

By VNA January 21, 2025 | 08:35 pm PT

Tourists play with water as they celebrate the Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13, 2024. Photo by Reuters

Tourism operators in Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, have called on the government to reduce the visa-free length of stay for Chinese tourists from 60 days to 15 days to address concerns over illegal employment.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said on Jan. 20 that local tourism operators are worried about foreign scammers exploiting the current visa-free scheme, which allows a 60-day stay in Thailand.

She noted that the private sector believes a 15-day limit will better align with the actual average stay of Chinese tourists, which typically ranges from 7 to 10 days.

Despite these concerns, Thapanee stressed that maintaining the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists remains beneficial for Thailand's tourism industry.

Thailand has set a target of attracting 8.8 million to 9 million Chinese visitors in 2024, out of 39 million to 40 million foreign tourists in total.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has also urged authorities to tackle transnational crimes and scams impacting the industry.

TCT Vice President Ratchaporn Poolsawadee noted that safety concerns have impacted not only the Chinese market but also other Asian travelers, who tend to be more sensitive to such issues than Western tourists.

According to the Thai Hotels Association, a total of 4,572 room nights booked by Chinese tourists across Thailand were canceled in January, including 2,001 cancelations in Bangkok alone.

This negative perception of safety also extended to other international markets, leading to the cancelation of an additional 7,856 room nights.