Greeted by the vigilant immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi airport, you start your journey into an exciting exploration of Thailand. The government, in its recent announcements, has hinted at potential relaxed visa requirements for certain European nationalities. As you traverse the city streets, the infectious energy from the numerous cultural and sporting events will likely draw you in, extending your stay and enriching your experiences, said Prommin Lertsuridej, the right-hand man of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Srettha Thavisin, who assumed office in August, has flagged tourism as a major opportunity to bolster Thailand’s economic growth swiftly. To facilitate this, measures have been initiated to ease visas for tourists from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, India and Taiwan. This comes alongside efforts to optimize airport operations for reduced waiting time and introduce new air routes. Notably, the government is also taking active steps to liven up the night scenes in multiple regions like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chonburi. Come next month, and you could be enjoying till the wee hours of 4 am in these vibrant zones.
The charms of Thailand are now more accessible than ever. Although Covid-19 restrictions once caused disruptions, Thailand is rapidly restoring the average tourist expenditure to its pre-pandemic standards. Thailand’s captivating allure lured in a record of about 40 million foreign visitors in 2019, raking in the revenue of a staggering 1.91 trillion baht. An average tourist then spent about nine days and 47,895 baht for each trip. Compare this to the data of 2021, where Thailand, until Nov 12, has fascinated around 23.2 million tourists and amassed 981.7 billion baht. That’s roughly trailing 12% behind the 2019 per-trip spending.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is working towards a challenging yet achievable target to elevate the foreign tourism revenue to pre-Covid levels, aiming for a whopping 2 trillion baht or $57 billion by 2024.
As Srettha recently announced the upcoming “Winter Festival” celebrations, the anticipation for the Loi Krathong festival, Bangkok Marathon and New Year events has started to build. These grandeur events are not just festivities, but a presentation of Thailand’s rich and unique culture, intended to captivate the tourists during the high season between November and January.
“We are curating more enthralling attractions and irresistible promotions to nudge tourists to extend their stay,” stated Prommin, the secretary-general to the Prime Minister. “Increasing the length of stay, curating more attractive events, adding more fun to the nightlife, we believe all of this will lead tourists to shell out more during their visit, thereby contributing to our economy.”
Be First to Comment