Thailand welcomes Chinese tourists with visa waiver programme | Video

Samut Prakan, Sep 25 (EFE/EPA).- Thai authorities on Monday began waiving visas for Chinese travellers, a temporary measure until February 29, to revive tourism, which has struggled to recover since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin received the first group of visa-free Chinese tourists at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport, who took the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Thai leader.

Chinese travellers accounted for almost a third of Thailand's nearly 40 million foreign tourists in 2019. Still, numbers plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have not increased as expected following the end of travel restrictions. (Camera: RUNGROJ YONGRIT).

FOOTAGE OF A WELCOMING CEREMONY BY THAI PRIME MINISTER SRETTHA THAVISIN ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE GOVERNMENT'S VISA WAIVER PROGRAMME FOR CHINESE TOURISTS AT SUVARNABHUMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SAMUT PRAKAN PROVINCE, THAILAND.

Metadata

Date: 25/09/2023 12:00 (UTC)
Credit: EFE
Source: EPA
Topic: Economy, business and finance » Tourism and leisure
Type: Rough cut
Duration: 177 seconds
Reference: 55011958655
Relevance: Normal