Thailand expects more visitors from Qatar this Eid

By Joey Aguilar

Staff Reporter

The Thai embassy in Doha is expecting a large number of people from Qatar to spend their Eid al-Fitr holidays in Thailand  this time , ambassador Piroon Laismit has told Gulf Times.

Laismit noted that many residents and citizens of Qatar wanted to visit his country during this period citing that they had been receiving  more than 100 visa applications daily for  the last several days.

Qataris are given visa on arrival in Thailand.

Asked about the present situation in Thailand, he stressed that it was now safe to travel to Bangkok and other popular tourist destinations such as Phuket and Pattaya. He said political tension had subsided and curfew had been lifted since last month.

“Most of the businesses and all tourist places have  resumed normal operations.”

Qataris are permitted to stay up to 30 days in Thailand under the “visa exemption rule” if entering via the international airport and up to 15 days if entering through a land border checkpoint from a neighbouring country.

“We don’t  have exact figures how many Qataris visit Thailand during Eid because they don’t need to apply for a visa,” Laismit said. “But summer is a peak season and many tourists from GCC countries prefer to spend their vacation in our country.”

In 2012, about 37,718 tourists from Qatar visited Thailand. Of this , 27,523 were Qataris. Qatar Airways has three daily Doha-Bangkok-Doha flights and one direct flight to Phuket.

As Thailand is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, the ambassador  expected a rise in the number of visitors from Qatar in the next two months.

At a roadshow held in Doha in May, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) noted that they saw a huge potential in the Qatari and Kuwaiti markets with a 36% and 15% rise respectively, in the number of visitors.

Laismit said the GCC remained an “important market for Thailand”.

TAT records showed that out of the 26.5mn total visitors to Thailand in 2013, at least 630,243 came from the Middle East: more than 123,000 from the United Arab Emirates; 71,000 from Kuwait; 28,000 from Egypt and 21,000 from Saudi Arabia.

A TAT report noted that many visitors from the Middle East preferred to stay longer. Those who come from the UAE normally stayed an average of 10 days and spent about $183.10 per day. Visitors from Saudi Arabia stayed for nine days and spent an average of $171.51 while those from Kuwait stayed for 10 days and spent around $166.62 a day.

The ambassador said Thailand offered a “unique” experience to millions of tourists, would-be couples and golfers, especially during summer. The Asean country is being promoted as a top wedding and golf destination.

Besides food, leisure, beaches in the south and medical tourism, he pointed out that Thailand continued to promote its “green activity” where tourists could visit local communities to experience nature and traditions.

In Doha, the  embassy is planning to hold a series of  cultural presentations and activities as part of its effort to promote Thailand’s rich heritage.