The government’s relaxation of regulations for Thai visitors — who no longer need entry visas — has stirred interest and could nearly double Thai visitor arrivals to about 360,000 next year, the Thai Travel Agents Association said.
Last year, 195,640 Thais visited the nation, slightly higher than Taipei’s prediction of 180,000, and the association attributed the growth to the visa-free policy.
Thai visitor growth was particularly strong in the fourth quarter of last year, with the number increasing 85 percent year-on-year.
The visa-free program took effect in August last year.
Thais and Bruneians have been granted visa-free travel as part of the “new southbound policy” that seeks to bolster the nation’s relations with Southeast Asia.
Association vice president Adith Chairattananon said that his group was optimistic that Thai visitors numbers would increase again this year, and would do its best to promote Taiwan as a travel destination.
About 120 travel agencies attended a conference to promote travel in Taiwan in Bangkok on Friday, 20 more than expected, the association said.
Typically only 50 to 60 companies attended similar conferences, the association said.
Adith said he was confident that as long as visa-free travel is allowed and if airlines provide more flights, the number of Thai arrivals in Taiwan could reach 360,000 this year.
Many Thais are interested in the nation’s New Year’s Eve countdown parties, especially at the Taipei 101 building, Adith said.
More than 500 Thai tourists took chartered flights for last year’s New Year’s Eve countdown in Taipei, Adith said, adding that he believed other countdown parties around Taiwan could also attract more visitors.
The “new southbound policy” is a Democratic Progressive Party initiative to develop closer ties with ASEAN and India.
The DPP government, which took office in May last year, hopes the policy will diversify investment and trade so that the nation is less economically dependent on China, including in the tourism sector.
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