Thai tourism bodies urge government to rebuild confidence with Chinese tourists

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) called on the government to restore confidence in Chinese tourists via mainland tour agents, emphasising that this approach can guarantee tourist safety.

TCT president, Chamnan Srisawat, suggested that the government should exercise caution before deciding on a permanent exemption from visas for the Chinese market. The impact of the five-month exemption that concludes in February next year should be assessed first, he proposed.

Chamnan highlighted the potential benefits of the visa-free policy to the tourism industry if it was accompanied by additional efforts to motivate tour operators in China to produce tour packages for their clients.

The visa exemption, he argued, should be a motivator for tour operators to propose more tour programmes, a suitable option for Chinese…