ID :
289076
Wed, 06/12/2013 - 10:55
Auther :

People, travel agents welcome Japan’s visa exemption for Thai tourists

BANGKOK, June 12 (TNA) - Japanese people and Thai travel agents hail Japan’s visa exemption for Thai tourists, taking effect from July 2013, as it is expected to further boost the number of Thai visitors to Japan. Takeshi Nishikawa, Director-General of the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau, said on Wednesday that he is pleased with the Japanese Cabinet’s resolution on the visa waiver for Thai tourists. Nishikawa noted that Thai and Japanese people are familiar with each other and have similarities, including democracy, Buddhism and cultures, and both countries have had diplomatic and economic relations, and have been friendly nations, with their cultural exchanges, for a long time. Nishikawa told journalists that 30 flights have been operated daily between Thailand and Japan and he hopes that the visa exemption will further increase the number of Thai visitors to Japan, especially to Hokkaido. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Sansern Ngaorungsri acknowledged, meanwhile, that Thailand has earlier exempted visa for Japanese visitors who each stay in the country for 30 days, but many parties have urged the Thai government to extend the visa-free stay in Thailand to 90 days and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering the matter. According to the TAT deputy governor, more Thai people are foreseen to tour Japan, as Tokyo is launching its World Visit Campaign to boost the number of international tourist arrivals in Japan to 10 million and to encourage 20 million Japanese people to travel overseas as of 2010. Thailand-Japan Tourism Promotion Association President Anek Srichiwachart also assessed that the number of Thai visitors to Japan should soar to 400,000-500,000 by the end of this year, after about 300,000 Thai people visited Japan last year and 100,000-145,000 Thai nationals visited the country during the first four months of this year. Earlier, Japan had mainly attracted Chinese tourists, but marine territorial disputes between the two nations have prompted Japan to reach new markets, including Thailand and Malaysia, with the number of their free independent travelers and clients of tour packages, who pay less for comprehensive services, expected to increase sharply. (TNA)

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