Strolling away their time in the illustrious Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo, tourists have always been mesmerised by the grandeur of Thailand’s capital. This travel trend is expected to surge, especially with the impending flood of Chinese visitors to Thailand. Airports of Thailand (AOT) projects a considerable increase in Chinese arrivals at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airport. This is in relation to the recent exemption of visas for Chinese and Kazakh residents starting Monday, a decision announced in the Royal Gazette on September 19th.
Confirmed by Kerati Kijmanawat, the President of AOT, this move is hoped to immensely escalate the tourist influx. Spanning from September 25th to October 1st, the first week of this new policy is envisaged to witness a significant upswing in arrivals. AOT anticipates a barrage of 674 flights pouring in from China at Suvarnabhumi airport, averaging at around 96 flights each day. A staggering number of 130,593 Chinese tourists are expected to thrive in the hum and bustle of airports, arriving and departing in almost equal numbers.
The hustle isn’t confined to China though. In response to the same visa-free policy, six flights are predicted to set course from Thailand to Kazakhstan in the week following September 25th. Setting a precedent, AOT expects an uptick in Kazakh travelers rising from a former 853 to a prospective 1,338. Concurrently, Don Mueang airport is bracing for 414 incoming and outgoing flights to and from China, marking an increment from the previous week’s 326 flights.
Kerati has further provided figures suggesting a surge in Cantones travel, with a projected rise from last week’s 43,783 to a potential 57,549 travelers. Between January 1st to September 17th, an astounding 10,333 flights were flying to and fro between China and two of Thailand’s airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, he added. This translated into a massive 1.6 million passengers commuting between the two countries.
The recent boost in aerial traffic can be traced back to March 26th, where an increase in travel airlines was reported. Since then, 22 Chinese and three Thai airlines have been conveniently switching between two airports in Bangkok and 23 airports in China. This policy has been wholeheartedly endorsed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who anticipates positive outcomes due to this visa-free policy.
Spokesman Chai Wacharonke echoes the same sentiment, expressing that this initiative will invigorate the numbers of Chinese and Kazakh tourists throughout its five-month course. He believes that this surge in visitors will assist Thailand in reaching its goal of attracting 5 million Chinese visitors this year. With this move, Thailand indeed steps on the gas pedal, aiming to accelerate its tourism industry to new heights.
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