The prime minister’s hope that temporarily suspending visa requirements will automatically result in a quick-fix foreign tourist expansion has proved optimistic. Nationals of China, India, Russia, Taiwan and Kazakhstan all have had visa rules suspended with tourists allowed 30 days on arrival (Russians 90 days). However, the discretion has failed to move the needle on Chinese entries in particular, with flights still only 60 percent of the volume pre-Covid. Many Chinese currently prefer to vacation domestically in a stalled economy and with negative reports about Thailand appearing in Chinese media.
Also on the stocks is a half-promise (but not formally announced) that some European countries, such as the UK and Germany, might see an improvement on the 30 days visa exempt they currently receive to 90 days…
