A meeting on promotion and development of tourism between Thailand and China has been organised with the staff of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Prachuap Khirikhan Provincial Office and 30 public and private sector organisations, particularly tourism organisations in Hua Hin and Cha- Am. The major aim was to find ways to accommodate and facilitate an increasing number of Chinese tourists in Thailand.
It was chaired by the Consul of the Embassy of China in Thailand Mr. Ju Wei Tong. The meeting ended with participants agreeing to many resolutions. For example, public signs should be written in Chinese and posted at tourist sites, beaches, hotels and other public places so that Chinese tourists feel confident about solving any problems that occur. Additionally leaflets and brochures that promote tourism in Thailand should be available in Chinese. The price of goods and food should be standardised at restaurants in Cha-Am and Hua Hin, and tourism volunteers provided by the tourist police office should communicate fluently in Chinese.
Chinese tourists are major visitors to Thailand. According to the statistics of 2013; 4,637,335 Chinese people visited the country, a 66.40% increase in comparison with the years before. During the first six months of this year, 1,877,966 Chinese have come to Thailand, a 20% decrease in comparison with 2013. However they have the No. 1 in the market share of Thai tourism. Thailand has exempted visa fee for visitors from China and Taiwan until 8th November 2014. More tourists from the two countries are expected to come here during the period.
The overall picture concerning the economy in China is still positive as the country’s financial condition is healthy, enabling its people to travel overseas. In this regard, the TAT has launched tourism campaigns that gained popularity amongst Chinese students, couples and golfers. In cooperation of Kenya Airlines, the TAT introduced a Bangkok-Hong Kong route with the Dreamliner 787 airbus that has a capacity over 380 passengers per trip. The route began on 17th August 2014. These campaigns will help promote tourism in Thailand and attract more tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to visit the country.
