(Original title: The speed of Chinese tourists' travel visa processing will be comprehensively improved!) Thai Tourism Police has opened a multi-channel Chinese service center to ensure the safety of tourists in an all-round way! (Interview))
ON 22 MAY 2023, THE TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF TMAY HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON "TRUSTED THAILAND, THE MORE FUN YOU HAVE IN THAILAND" AT THE ICONSIAM MALL IN BANGKOK, THAILAND, AIMING TO INTRODUCE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES OF THAILAND TO CHINESE TOURISTS AND ENHANCE THEIR CONFIDENCE IN TRAVELING TO THAILAND.
Thailand.com, as a Chinese-language media in Thailand, was invited to participate in this press conference and conducted exclusive interviews with important leaders on the recent "tourist visa" processing issues that Chinese tourists are concerned about.
The processing of tourist visas for Chinese tourists will be shortened to 2 weeks, i.e. within 15 days
In an exclusive interview with Deputy Director of Asia and South Pacific Marketing, National Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tagne. Thanes Petsuwan, a reporter from Thailand.com conveyed in detail the current difficulties of Chinese tourists in applying for visas, such as: long review time, cumbersome materials, high visa refusal rate and other problems.
Deputy Director Targne. Pei Suwang said: "The problems reflected by the Thai website are consistent with the reports of the major offices of the Thai Tourism Bureau in China, and it is indeed inconvenient for Chinese tourists to apply for visas at this stage, which is also the issue that the Thai Tourism Bureau attaches the most importance to." ”
"In order to make Chinese tourists have a happier and longer lasting time, we (Thailand Tourism Bureau) have had detailed communication with the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promised to adjust the visa processing procedures for Chinese tourists as soon as possible and control the number of visa processing days to 15 days."
The deputy director added: "At present, Chinese tourists come to Thailand, and the types of visas can be divided into VOA (visa on arrival) and tourist visa, but compared with the two, the visa on arrival is obviously more expensive, and the 15-day visa on arrival stay is far less than the tourist visa (more than 30 days). The data shows that at present, 70% of Chinese tourists choose to apply for a visa on arrival after arriving at the Thai airport, because it is convenient and does not require the cumbersome review of the tourist visa. ”
"Although visa-on-arrival has become the mainstream visa for Chinese tourists, the 'unfriendly' tourist visa processing policy will still make it difficult for Thailand to meet the annual tourist target of more than 5 million. It is expected that in the second half of this year, the Thai visa and consular system will usher in the investment and update of the whole system - Chinese tourists will see a more intuitive and simple visa application system! ”
"At the same time, we hope that Chinese tourists can also actively cooperate with the Thai consular visa examination department and stop submitting application documents that are not standardized, missing pages or irrelevant, which is also one of the difficulties in Thailand's visa review recently." Of course, the Thai side will play a greater guiding role and try not to let Chinese tourists misunderstand the visa application process and document submission. ”
"Tourism Authority of Thailand also attaches great importance to the visa group application channels for Chinese tourists, and in the next step, we will work with the consular department in China to issue a unified 'group visa application standard' to travel agencies and visa group intermediaries, and promote rapid review, fast visa issuance, group visa issuance, and welcome back Chinese group tourists as soon as possible!"
Tagne. "Chinese tourists to Thailand have been on the rise, reaching 1,034,929 from New Year's Day to May 21, 2023, and Thailand remains the hottest and most popular overseas destination," Pei Suwang said. We will grasp the needs of tourists, live up to the enthusiasm of tourists, and at the same time cooperate with the tourism police to deploy the whole territory to protect every Chinese tourist. ”
Thai tourist police: No one dares to bully Chinese tourists anymore!
Chief of the Tourism Police Department of the Thai Police Department Sukhumvit. Pol.L.t.Gen. Sukhun Prommayon said at the press conference: "We are fully prepared to protect Chinese tourists, and major scenic spots and tourist attractions have installed radio communication alarm equipment for tourist police. ”
"IN ADDITION, THE TOURISM POLICE OF THAI HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED A MOBILE PHONE APP CALLED 'POLICE I LERT U) FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS TO ASK THE POLICE FOR HELP. The app currently supports multiple languages – including English, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, French, German, and Arabic.
"During their trip to Thailand, tourists can send personal information, photos, time and location of the incident to the emergency call center 1155 through the app, which will accept the alarm around the clock and will coordinate the dispatch of police personnel to rescue at the first time."
In an interview with Thailand.com, the Thai tourist police said: "Please rest assured that the Thai tourist police have been all over Thailand, and you are welcome to call the 1155 tourist hotline in case of emergency." ”
"Whether it is slaughtering, raising prices, deceiving customers, fooling menus, tourists can pick up their mobile phones at any time and dial 1155, let us warn bad Thai merchants on the phone and assist Chinese translators, if bad merchants still insist on harming Chinese tourists, then we will directly come to the scene to clean them up..."
Thai tourist police big Internet celebrity "" (พี่ดาบท่องเที่ยว) said to Chinese tourists through the Thai website: "Thailand tourist police welcome! Thailand is fun, welcome to Thailand! ”
This "", who has more than 3 million Chinese fans, is not only a tourist policeman, but also a famous beauty pageant champion, who has participated in many beauty pageants for many years.
In this themed event "Trust Thailand, Have More Fun in Thailand", the Tourism Authority of Thailand also cooperated with ICONSIAM Shopping Mall to hold a shopping challenge, adhering to the concept of soft power "Soft Power (5F)" and "Meaningful Travel", inviting more than 60 KOLs to select and purchase Thai tourism goods and services, and KOLs participating in the shopping challenge also had the opportunity to receive generous rewards from the event sponsors, including Air Asia Asia), vouchers for ICONSIAM shopping malls, vouchers for LINE MAN, etc., will also receive gift cards and beautiful gift bundles from other partners.
In addition, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has also partnered with Air Asia to continue to hold the KOLs Mega FAM Trip, which will lead KOLs to explore the travel routes in Thailand from May 18 to 28, with Meaningful Travel as the guide, focusing on the travel experience and various safety precautions during the trip, which will present Thailand's high-quality tourism services and diversified tourism products.
The KOL Discovery Route includes community tours, food tours, wellness tours, seaside tours, high-speed rail tours (i.e. Kunming-Vientiane-Nong Khai-Udon Thani 1st line) and emerging tourism programs suitable for high-end customers, covering many cities in Thailand, including Chiang Mai, Daratchasima (Koh Chang), Chanthaburi, Chonburi (Pattaya), Prachuap Khirap Khirteen (Hua Hin), Kanchanaburi, Mae Korn, Koratchasima Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai.
The event aims to promote Thailand tourism and lead the trend through major social media, so as to attract the attention of Chinese tourists and let Chinese tourists understand Thailand from a deeper perspective.
Thailand is still the Thailand we know. Every visitor who comes here, or who is about to arrive, will have their own "Siam list" in their hearts.
Perhaps, too many things have happened in Thailand recently, like a fog, so that we repeatedly ask in hesitation whether the Siam in front of us still carries the beauty of the past; And the simplicity of the past, whether in the three-year vision of the epidemic, is still waiting for us to return.
A thousand words, nothing more than "is it still that desirable Thailand".
Yes, there is a lot of negative press, but under the stupa, Thailand is still the weather-beaten Buddha.
It doesn't know how to explain to its visitors, or what to guarantee, in order to deliver its long-cherished friendliness in time.
Therefore, Thailand can only entrust its sincerity to the years and choose to prove everything with time.
From the pandemic lockdown to the opening of the tourism industry, Thailand's longing for Chinese tourists has gone through countless stages of relapse.
In the early days of the pandemic, Thailand's tourism industry collapsed, and Thais simply hoped that China, a "big customer", would return to help generate income and improve the economy.
In the middle of the epidemic, the overly anxious "business longing" condensed into friendship and understanding - "As long as Chinese tourists can be safe, any year and month is the best arrangement and the most timely gathering." ”
Since January this year, the opening up of the Sino-Thai tourism industry has continued to this day, and Thailand's longing has been sublimated into a "belief" - the friendship between China and Thailand, which is related to economic income generation, but far more than money. It is a kind of excitement imprinted in the past life that has disappeared for a long time, only belonging to the resonance of China and Thailand, and no time and space can replace it.
At this year's Songkran Festival, Zhongtai has found a long-lost carnival.
It seems that there are many tourists from all over the world to Thailand, but only Chinese tourists have become the most concerned group in Thailand, because I have you in "culture", which is convenient for geographical exchanges and cherishes each other in getting along.
Now, after surviving the long epidemic and surviving the depression of flights, China and Thailand are entering the run-in and test when they meet again.
The Thai Tourism Bureau has made honest feedback on the difficulties of Chinese tourists in obtaining Thai visas, and is even unwilling to let go of any details that make tourists feel unpleasant. Although the visa is a document for a country's customs clearance review, Thailand's sincerity has achieved a meticulous experience test, and hopes to make it a convenient and fast "carnival ticket".
This is the preference for breaking through the framework.
As a Chinese-language media, in the face of Thailand's sincerity, to be honest, we are moved and supportive. Throughout the world, there are constant accidents and conflicts, but for Thailand, there is no greater courage than facing up to its flaws and no deeper honesty than self-reflection.
They openly acknowledge the difficulties of visas, lack of security, and all the shortcomings of the past, and will spread the whole territory with "firm" perseverance to achieve the promised "solution and improvement".
In the future, Thailand.com will continue to work with the Thai Tourism Bureau and the Thai Tourism Police to jointly protect every Chinese tourist.
The pen in our hands will belong to every Chinese compatriot.
Every time we speak, it will be for the hard-won friendship between China and Thailand.
Text: Thai Net Cloth Week Ten Noodles