“Phuket ready to welcome Chinese and Kazakhstani tourists with visafree scheme! Despite delays, Phuket Tourism Association is optimistic about the upcoming Chinese New Year. Let’s make it happen with PhuketTourism YearoftheDragon ChineseNewYear KazakhstaniTourists TravelGoals VacationTime”
Phuket’s tourism authorities are eagerly preparing to welcome an influx of tourists from China and Kazakhstan, thanks to a new visafree policy set to be implemented next week. This policy allows easier entry and 30day visafree stays for nationals of both countries and will be effective from Monday until February 29th.
The newly proposed freevisa travel privilege for Chinese visitors in Thailand, championed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, is set to launch on October 1st. The primary goal of this policy is to attract more Chinese tourists, who previously made up the majority of tourist arrivals in the country. However, despite the easing of Covid19 restrictions, the expected rebound in Chinese visitors has not been as strong as anticipated.
Police in Pattaya are searching for a man caught on video holding a group of foreign tourists at gunpoint at the Sor Thor Ro 5 hill viewpoint. The 99second video shows the gunman, who appears to be of foreign descent, aged 2030 years, and about 170 centimeters tall, threatening around 20 men of MiddleEastern appearance. He ordered them to sit down next to each other while wielding a pistol.
Phuket has seen a surge in Chinese tourists during the start of the low season, with the majority of international visitors hailing from China. Russia and Australia follow as the next top sources of tourists, as reported by the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA).
In a recent raid on a highend pub in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district, almost 50 Chinese tourists were detained for questioning. Authorities seized a large quantity of illicit drugs during the early morning operation. The pub’s operations were found to be similar to the infamous Jinling pub.
Thailand has seen an influx of nearly 10 million foreign tourists from January to May 15, contributing approximately 391 billion baht in revenue. The majority of visitors come from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The government anticipates reaching seven million Chinese tourists this year.