The Chinese flock to Thailand, expecting over a million to welcome Lunar New Year’s Day

The Lunar New Year is considered a golden week which is a long holiday for Chinese people. The days off are 8 days in total starting from 10 – 17 February. Therefore, the Thai Government takes this opportunity to invite tourists to open up their experiences in traveling in Thailand during the days off of the Lunar New Year. It is expected to have more than 8 million Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.

Global Times, China’s English Media

reported that the oversea destinations that Chinese people are heading to during the Lunar New Year are Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The total flight bookings to these three countries increased more than 15 times compared to the same period last year.

2024 Lunar New Year, the Government, therefore, invites tourists, especially Chinese tourists, to visit Thailand which is also in compliance with the permanent visa-free agreement that was signed between the Thai and Chinese governments, effective on March 1, 2024.

This permanent visa-free will exempt both holders of ordinary Thai passports and holders of semi-official and ordinary Chinese passports from inbound and outbound or border crossing of both countries. They can live no more than 30 days at a time, and when combined with multiple trips within 180 days, the total length of stay must not exceed 90 days. In addition, Thailand has enhanced safety measures to take care of more tourists during the Lunar New Year and Songkran holidays.

Mr. Kirati Kittmanawat, President ofAirports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT)

stated that the AOT has prepared for passenger service to facilitate more travelers from around the world during the Lunar New Year holiday through its six airports, consisting of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Phuket International Airport, and Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport to be in line with the government’s tourism stimulus policy and Visa-Free, which is expected to attract more than 8 million Chinese tourists to Thailand in 2024.

For the forecast, AOT estimates that passenger volume will be over 3.52 million or 350,000 passengers per day, increasing by 20%, and 21,115 flights per day, or an average of 2,112 flights per day, increasing by 16.7% compared to the same period last year. Suvarnabhumi Airport has the highest volume of air traffic, which is expected to reach 1.73 million passengers or an average of 173,000 passengers per day, increasing by 24.3%, and 9,439 flights or an average of 944 flights per day, increasing by 15.6%.

After the announcement of a permanent visa free, Trip website.Com, China's largest travel booking platform

said that the total bookings to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore during the Spring Festival this year increased more than 15 times compared to the same period in 2023. Chinese tourists booked more than 13 times more tickets to Thailand and Singapore, while Malaysian bookings increased by 22 times.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has also held the 2024 Lunar New Year, which will run from February 1 – 29, 2024, on Yaowarat Road. It is expected that during the Lunar New Year this year, Chinese tourists visiting Thailand will generate around 6.213 billion baht, increasing by 366% over the same period last year from the expected number of tourists who would visit Thailand of 177,000 tourists.