Thailand’s visa exemption sparks rise in travel bookings to China

The visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China has sparked a significant rise in bookings from Thai travellers. During the Songkran holiday through May, airlines and tour operators noted an uptick in Thai passengers on some routes outnumbering their Chinese counterparts.

Chotechuang Soorangura, Vice President of the Thai Travel Agents Association, highlighted the robust sales of tour packages to China during Songkran. The majority of these outbound tourists possess high purchasing power, affording the steeper airfares. In contrast, budget travellers usually prefer domestic trips or cost-effective outbound destinations such as Vietnam.

According to Chotechuang, Thai travellers have experienced no issues upon arrival in China, unlike previous reports of interrogations and deportations in South Korea. This ensures an uninterrupted flow of…