Thailand doubles fees for visas on arrival
YUKAKO ONO, Nikkei staff writer
August 19, 2016
A visit to the Grand Palace in Bangkok -- China is on course to supply over eight million tourists this year.
BANGKOK -- Thailand will double visa-on-arrival fees for tourists from 19 countries and regions including China, its biggest source market, in an effort to bulk up income from tourism -- easily the most buoyant sector in the economy.
From Sept. 27, the charge for a visa allowing visitors a 15-day stay will be 2,000 baht ($57.8).
China provided 26% of Thailand's 29.8 million foreign arrivals last year.
Other countries affected by the hike include India, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan.
The increase comes after the country's lucrative but vulnerable tourism industry was hit by a string of bomb blasts on Aug. 11 and 12 in the southern provinces, including at popular coastal resorts around Phuket and at Hua Hin.
Four people were killed and more than 30 injured, including a dozen foreign tourists.
It was the second time in a year that tourism was affected by bombing.
On Aug. 17, 2015, a deadly bomb blast in central Bangkok at a shrine popular with Chinese tourists left 20 dead.
The incident caused a brief fall in arrivals.
The military government has raced to contain the fallout, and officials have been at pains to stress that the attacks were unrelated to international terrorism, describing them as "local sabotage".
Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said this year's target of 2.4 trillion baht ($69 billion) in tourism revenue, a 9% increase from 2015, is unchanged.
Tourism constitutes over 11% of gross domestic product.
It employs 16% of the work force directly and indirectly, and has prospered while exports and household spending have remained sluggish.
By some estimates that takes account of indirect factors, tourism's contribution to the economy could be as high as 20%.
asia.nikkei.com
YUKAKO ONO, Nikkei staff writer
August 19, 2016
A visit to the Grand Palace in Bangkok -- China is on course to supply over eight million tourists this year.
BANGKOK -- Thailand will double visa-on-arrival fees for tourists from 19 countries and regions including China, its biggest source market, in an effort to bulk up income from tourism -- easily the most buoyant sector in the economy.
From Sept. 27, the charge for a visa allowing visitors a 15-day stay will be 2,000 baht ($57.8).
China provided 26% of Thailand's 29.8 million foreign arrivals last year.
Other countries affected by the hike include India, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan.
The increase comes after the country's lucrative but vulnerable tourism industry was hit by a string of bomb blasts on Aug. 11 and 12 in the southern provinces, including at popular coastal resorts around Phuket and at Hua Hin.
Four people were killed and more than 30 injured, including a dozen foreign tourists.
It was the second time in a year that tourism was affected by bombing.
On Aug. 17, 2015, a deadly bomb blast in central Bangkok at a shrine popular with Chinese tourists left 20 dead.
The incident caused a brief fall in arrivals.
The military government has raced to contain the fallout, and officials have been at pains to stress that the attacks were unrelated to international terrorism, describing them as "local sabotage".
Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said this year's target of 2.4 trillion baht ($69 billion) in tourism revenue, a 9% increase from 2015, is unchanged.
Tourism constitutes over 11% of gross domestic product.
It employs 16% of the work force directly and indirectly, and has prospered while exports and household spending have remained sluggish.
By some estimates that takes account of indirect factors, tourism's contribution to the economy could be as high as 20%.
asia.nikkei.com
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