Tourism
Thailand Recruits Chinese Superstar to Promote Tourism in China
Thailand’s celebrated tourism business is missing its most important customers: the Chinese. Thailand had great hopes when China eased Covid restrictions. It predicted a spike in business that would help the tourism industry regain most of what it had lost during the Covid pandemic.
The administration expected that up to five million Chinese tourists will visit the country by the end of the year. However, that hopeful scenario is considerably too optimistic.
In the first nine months of 2023, little fewer than 2.5 million Chinese visitors visited Thailand, a far cry from the over 11 million who visited in 2019, but a significant gain over the previous year, when there were only 270,000.
“Our tourism ministry said visitor numbers would quickly recover after the pandemic,” Anucha Liangruangreongkit, a Chinese-speaking tour guide at Bangkok’s Grand Palace for 42 years told the BBC.
“But they’re just dreaming.” I’m a tour guide, so I should know. If things were normal, as in the past, it would be crowded, right? Take a look at it right now. Is there a large crowd here? No.”
Part of the difficulty is a lack of low-cost flights following Covid, as well as a declining Chinese economy. The new Thai Government thought that by announcing a five-month visa waiver, it would attract more tourists.
However, a shooting at Bangkok’s most famous shopping mall on 3 October, which murdered a Chinese mother of two children, exacerbated Thailand’s and other South East Asian countries’ image problems.
Many Chinese people now regard them as dangerous.
No More Bets, a new film released in August, proved a tremendous box office success in China, grossing tens of millions of dollars in its first few days. It showed a Chinese model and a computer programmer being led into a scam centre in an undisclosed South East Asian country by the promise of high-paying jobs – and being forced to labour in slave-like conditions.
No More Bets sprang out of frightening news over the last two to three years about the thousands of people, many of them Chinese, who had become imprisoned in such scam centres in Cambodia and along Thailand’s lawless borders with Myanmar and Laos. In China, social media has also conveyed horrible reports of torture and abuse by individuals who have fled.
Abby, a Chinese student in Thailand who likes to vlog about places like 76 Garage to her social media followers, has observed how the popular image of Thailand has altered in the comments underneath her TikTok feed.
“The comments on my feed used to be very positive,”she recalls. “Many people said after watching my videos that they really wanted to come to Thailand.”
People are now worried, she claims, that the shirtless waiters in the pool are a scheme to entice unsuspecting diners to donate their kidneys: “People would approach me and ask, ‘Are you running a ‘kidney harvesting’ scam?” “Do you send people from Thailand to Myanmar?”
In the past, Chinese tourists had a terrible reputation in Thailand. They frequently travelled in huge, boisterous groups and were considered impolite and pushy.
There were complaints about so-called “zero dollar tourism,” in which they arrived on all-inclusive packages with the majority of the money going to operators in China, and there was public debate about the risks of relying too heavily on the Chinese.
Many of them are now staying away due to safety worries, and the Thai tourism industry is focusing its efforts on other countries such as Russia and India.
Thailand, on the other hand, cannot afford to ignore the world’s greatest market. Chinese travellers are among the most expensive in Thailand, spending an average of $180 per day.
Thailand has recruited Luo Yun Xi, a famous Chinese superstar known for his role in the film “Till the End of the Moon,” to promote its “Friends of Thailand” project in China in an effort to attract Chinese tourists.
The program’s goal is to promote Thailand through diverse travel experiences, as well as to stimulate cultural exchange between Thailand and China.
Luo Yun Xi will represent the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) by connecting people and encouraging cultural interaction between Thailand and China, displaying Thailand’s beauty to an international audience.
TAT expressed its hope that Luo Yun Xi would have a nice time in Thailand, visiting the lovely tourist destinations, savouring exquisite Thai cuisine, and sharing his thoughts of his trip with his fan group.
The general manager of Thailand Privilege Card Co Ltd, the organisation in charge of managing the Thailand Privilege Card membership card project, Manatase Annawat, stated that the cultural exchange with Chinese actor Luo Yunxi was a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships with his over 28 million Chinese followers.
Luo Yunxi will represent Thailand by promoting it through diverse travel experiences and facilitating cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Members of the Thailand Privilege Card programme will receive a unique temporary five-year visa as part of the “Friends of Thailand” card scheme.
They will also get access to airport receptionist services, fast-track immigration, special lounge access for arrivals and departures, short-term limousine pick-up and drop-off services, and other advantages from partner companies.
These advantages span a wide range of lifestyle areas, such as health and spa services, shopping, dining, hotels, and so on, ultimately improving Thailand’s quality of life.
Lack of Chinese Investors Creates Condo Glut in Thailand
People from more nations will be now able to enter Thailand without a visa beginning Monday. This is part of an effort to increase tourism and encourage visitors to stay longer, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Friday.
According to Ms. Traisuree, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed four documents that will make it easier for foreigners to travel. These modifications will all take effect on Monday, provided they are published in the Royal Gazette.
The instructions include 93 more nations on the list of individuals who can visit Thailand without a visa, up from 57 previously. People from these countries can stay for a maximum of 60 days. Additionally, from 19 to 31, nearly twice as many nations will be able to obtain visas on arrival in Thailand.
To attract digital nomads, artists, and tourists interested in learning or practicing skills such as cooking and Muay Thai, the country will also introduce the Destination Thailand Visa service.
The new form of visa, which is valid for five years, allows travelers to stay for up to 180 days.
According to Ms. Traisuree, students holding visas for master’s degrees or higher will not be required to leave Thailand immediately upon graduation. They will be able to stay for an additional year to hunt for work or vacation.
In order to enhance the economy and tourism, the cabinet took a general decision on these additional measures in May. The statement was meant to be released in June, but it was pushed back.
Ms. Traisuree believes that this is the greatest sort of visa for persons who want to work from home in the Land of Smiles and explore the nation without the various restrictions and complications that come with conventional tourist visas.
Getting a DTV will give you a 5-year multiple-entry visa that lets you stay in Thailand for a total of 180 days a year, with the opportunity to stay for another 180 days.
Ms. Traisuree said that the Destination Thailand Visa is great if you want to work from home in the Land of Smiles and see the sights without the many restrictions and problems that come with a regular tourist visa. The Destination Thailand Visa will cost 10,000 THB.
Qualifications for the Thailand Destination Visa (DTV)
According to Thai Embassy, to be eligible for the visa, you must fulfill the following conditions (which could change):
- You have to be 20 years of age or older
- You have to be able to afford the cost of the visa
- To sustain your stay in the nation, you must demonstrate that you have at least 500,000 THB in your bank account
- Proof of your employment with a recognized company is required.
For digital nomads or remote workers who want to make the most of their travels and yet have the opportunity to work while they’re there, the Destination Thailand Visa is designed just for you. Additionally, it is ideal if you are traveling to Thailand in order to partake in any of the following activities:
- Thai food prepared with Muay Thai
- Instruction and conferences
- Sports medicine therapy
- International talent International music and art events
Thailand DTV Visa Benefits
Additionally, there is uncertainty about these details and they could change:
- In comparison to other Southeast Asian nations that provide comparable visas, Thailand has less stringent income requirements and charges for the visa. For another 10,000 THB, you can extend the visa once, for a maximum of 180 days.
- There are ninety-three foreign nations that qualify for the Thailand DTV Visa.
- With this visa, you can lawfully operate remotely for foreign clients and companies while in Thailand.
- Your spouse and any children under the age of twenty may accompany you.
- You are exempt from paying taxes on your foreign income because the visa allows you to stay in Thailand for up to 180 days.
Drawbacks of a Thailand DTV Visa
You are unable to work for a Thai company that needs a Thai work visa, even though you are still able to engage in some activities and make money. Your DTV will end if you decide to change the kind of visa you are currently on.
Additional information on the visa’s release date and application process will be available in late June or early July of 2024. You will most likely be able to apply for it via the Thai immigration office, a Thai embassy, or a Royal Thai Consulate.
Thailand’s Hotels Association (THA) reports that another German tour operator has gone bankrupt, but that this will have a far less effect than the recent bankruptcy of FTI Touristik.
Following notification from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thai Hotels Association has now confirmed that the Cologne-based luxury tour operator Itravel Group has formally filed for bankruptcy.
Southern Thailand is home to numerous high-end resorts, which Itravel aims to attract, according to Thai Hotels Association president Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun.
As a result of Itravel’s bankruptcy, he said, the hotels association is currently collecting data from its members.
On Monday, the organization wrote to the TAT and the Foreign Ministry, requesting that they assist hotel operators in keeping up with legal developments surrounding the bankruptcy of the German tour operator FTI, which resulted in a loss of almost 111 million baht for hotels around the country.
Hotels having issues with Itravel
On Monday, during the THA monthly meeting, Mr. Thienprasit noted that they also emphasized the case’s urgency to Minister Sermsak Pongpanit of Tourism and Sports.
In response to allegations that hotel operators with business partnerships with Itravel were experiencing issues with financial transactions, the agency issued an alert to the industry, according to Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
He speculated that the losses might be lower with Itravel, an online travel agency that focuses on the niche luxury market, than with FTI, the third operator.
According to the Bangkok Post, at Monday’s THA meeting, Mr. Sermsak stated that the ministry will look into measures to assist hotels, especially since the goal of 3.5 trillion baht in tourism earnings for this year is still very ambitious.
According to Mr. Thienprasit, the organization is opposed to the government’s plans to increase the legal foreign ownership of condominiums from 49% to 75%. This, he added, might lead to an increase in unlawful accommodations and make other condo residents feel uneasy about having more guests around the clock.
Unscrupulous investors
He said that some international investors are already breaking the law by renting out their rooms to day guests, even though the Hotel Act only permits rentals of at least 30 days.
An increase in the foreign ownership quota for condos, according to Mr. Thienprasit, could entice unscrupulous investors and lead to the construction of even more unlawful rooms, which now exceed the number of registered hotel rooms by a factor of two.
The success of Thailand’s hotel industry is highly dependent on the business of tour operators. These collaborations bring in a constant flow of visitors, particularly during busy seasons.
It is more convenient for passengers to book comprehensive packages offered by tour operators, which include hotel accommodations and activities. Because of this arrangement, hotels may anticipate a specific amount of bookings without having to spend a lot on advertising.
Additionally, hotels are able to provide more affordable rates, which appeals to guests who are mindful of their budget. But if tour operators go through slumps or start focusing on other places, this dependence might be disastrous.
Source: Bangkok Post, Thai PBS
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