While Thailand welcomed Chinese visitors for the first time in three years since the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 200 officials, including Thai Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Chanwiragun, held an event in time for entry and welcomed Chinese passengers.
According to CTV, NHK, and local reports in Thailand on the 9th (local time), the Thai authorities welcomed Chinese tourists stepping on Thai soil for the first time in three years, as Chinese people who lifted the strong “Zero Corona” quarantine rein opened their overseas.
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin and some 200 officials welcomed the arrival by holding an event in time for 269 passengers of Xiamen Airlines flight MF833 from Xiamen in southeastern China to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, giving them wreaths and small gifts.
Banners such as “China and Thailand are one family” and “Thailand always warmly welcomes our Chinese family” were seen hanging throughout the airport.A 20-year-old Chinese woman who visited Thailand said, “It’s my first overseas trip in my life, and I think Thailand is a really good country.” Simon Zhou, from Tianjin, northeastern China, said, “I can feel the hospitality of the Thai people. I am very happy to receive the gift.
Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul welcomes Chinese tourists who entered the country for the first time since Chinese authorities withdrew their COVID-19 travel restrictions at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on the 9th (local time). Dependence of Chinese tourists ↑ Thailand’s ‘withdrawal’ of entry restrictions in a day due to opposition from the tourism industry.
Thailand initially announced that it would be mandatory for all inbound travelers to submit vaccination certificates due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, but withdrew it a day after implementation due to opposition from the tourism industry.In fact, in 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19, 11 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, accounting for about 30% of the annual foreign tourists.This also had a significant impact on the Thai economy, accounting for about one-fifth of Thailand’s GDP. Since then, the Thai tourism industry has been seriously hit by a sharp drop in the inflow of Chinese tourists due to China’s lockdown policy.With the resumption of Chinese travel, Thai authorities expect the influx of Chinese tourists to increase, and they expect it to help their tourism industry and economic recovery.Thai Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presents flowers to Chinese tourists who entered the country for the first time since Chinese authorities withdrew their COVID-19 travel restrictions at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on the 9th (local time). As the tourism industry is Thailand, the country’s main business, it will not introduce separate entry regulations for Chinese immigrants in the future to recover the economy.Thanes Petsuwan, deputy head of the Thai Tourism Administration, estimated that about 20 million tourists will visit Thailand this year,
but announced that it will reach about 25 million due to the increase in Chinese tourists.Deputy Prime Minister Anutin told reporters at the airport, “There are more and more foreign tourists, including Chinese traveling to Thailand.”He stressed that such an increase in tourists is a “good sign” for the Thai tourism industry as it can create profits and job opportunities and add value to the economy.Meanwhile, Malaysia and Indonesia, other Southeast Asian countries, are conducting fever tests on Chinese arrivals.
EJ SONG
ASIA JOURNAL
