Tourism entrepreneurs ask Govt to scrap visa fees

BANGKOK, 10 March 2011 (NNT) – Tourism business operators are calling for the Government to consider visa fee cancelation in order to attract more foreign travelers to Thailand, especially those from China.

President of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association Wichit Prakobkosol stated that a letter would be submitted to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva today to propose that the policy to collect visa fees from foreign tourists be discarded. He pointed out that if the fees were eliminated, more Chinese tourists would come to Thailand and the country’s income from Chinese arrivals would expand over 30 percent each year, as opposed to the current 20 percent.

The number of Chinese travelers in the kingdom would also reach 2 million per year within the next three years, thanks to China’s growing economy and lively tourism, while the Thai-Chinese relationship would be improved.

Although the Thai government’s visa fee exemption measure has been effective since 11 May 2010, it is due to expire at the end of this month. Mr Wichit claimed that after the measure’s expiration, the number of chartered flights from China to Thailand during the upcoming Songkran Festival from 13-20 April would drop 20 percent from the target of 100 flights to 80, causing a loss of 250-300 million THB of income.

Mr Wichit stressed that the Thai tourism industry had been impacted by the domestic political turmoil for four years and is now in dire need of promotion. He assured that the Government’s exchange of its visa fee earnings for a higher tourism income would be worthwhile.