Thailand’s Tourism Rebound: 1,600+ Flights from China Set to Arrive

To aid in the recovery of Thailand’s tourism industry, the Civil Aviation Authority has granted permission for more than 1,600 flights from China to land in the country over the course of the next two months.

This includes 671 flights scheduled to arrive this month and an additional 970 expected next month, as stated by CAAT President Suttipong Kongpool to The Thaiger. Last month alone, 269 Chinese flights landed in Thailand after China’s borders were reopened following a three-year closure.

Prior to the pandemic, China was one of the largest outbound tourism markets globally, and as of February 6th, Chinese travel agencies were allowed to offer group tours to twenty different countries, excluding Vietnam.

Due to a favorable visa policy and the lifting of Covid travel restrictions, Thailand received more than 11 million foreign arrivals in the previous year. The Thai government aims to increase this number to 30 million in 2022, including a target of seven million Chinese tourists.

In 2019, Thailand welcomed over 40 million international tourist arrivals, with Chinese visitors making up more than a quarter of the total.