Three minutes to talk about popular science
From March, China and Thailand will permanently exempt each other's citizens from visas. What are the reasons for making visas easier or even visa-free? In fact, behind it is the dependence of Thailand's tourism industry on the Chinese market! Not only Thailand attracts Chinese tourists, but also China's rich cultural customs also attract the Thai people's enthusiasm for tourism.
To understand how dependent Thailand is on Chinese tourists, we have to start with a set of data released by Thai officials many years ago. It was 2017, according to the report card released by the Thai tourism department at that timeIn one year, Thailand received a total of 35 million foreign tourists, generating a revenue of 560 billion yuan.
Among them,Chinese tourists account for nearly a quarter of foreign tourists. And the economic income generated by tourism,It accounts for 16% of Thailand's GDP.
It can be said that tourism plays a pivotal role in the development of Thailand. By the time 2023 comes, it's only from January to MayThe number of Chinese tourists entering Thailand has reached 1 millionAnd according to the projections of the tourism department,The number of Chinese tourists in that year may reach 5 million or even 7 million!
While the prospects for tourism revenue generation in Thailand are promising, this is not actually their peak. The reason for this is due to the decrease in international exchanges in the three years after 2020As a result, Thailand's tourism industry has been hit very hard, and even affected Thailand's national development plan.
Now, the announcement of the Sino-Thai visa-free planIt is also in order to completely eliminate the decline in tourism development that has been formed in recent yearsSo as to achieve the purpose of stimulating the market.
Will the Sino-Thai visa-free plan stimulate Thai tourists to travel to China?？The answer is yes, just after the announcement of the visa-free program, the Ctrip platform announced some of the browsing data in the international version of the mini program.
According to the data, the search volume of China-related keywords on the Thai site is higher than in the pastIt has nearly doubled in terms of popularity. Among them, the Thai people's search volume for Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Kunming, which is everyping all year round, is the most outstanding. The search popularity of Thai tourists in January 2024 alone is 158% higher than that at the end of 2023.
It can be said that because of the influence of the international situation,Thailand's tourism industry has suffered an unprecedented blow in the past three yearsSince tourism is also a leading industry in Thailand's economic development, the Thai side hopes to attract tourists from China and even international countries to travel by car as soon as possible.
The first step for Thailand to revive its tourism industry is to cooperate with ChinaDiscuss signing up for a visa-free scheme. Judging from the data released so far, the visa-free visa between China and Thailand has indeed stimulated the tourism market of both sides, so that both sides can benefit from it and promote exchanges in all aspects.
Is the procedure for going abroad very simple without a visa-free system? Not really! And the reason for this,Or is it because the probability of visa approval is too small, and the currency exchange rate is constantly changing.
Therefore,Traveling abroad has always been regarded as a symbol of "wealth" in previous years. Recently, China and Thailand jointly issued an announcement on visa-free travel, so what butterfly effect will this have on China and Thailand?
If there is no visa-free system, what procedures do you need to go through if you want to go abroad? First of all, we need to solve the problem of passports and visas. Passport,That is, a certificate issued at the time of entry and exit into China, which allows you to leave China.
Visas, on the other hand, need to be issued by foreign consulates and are documents that allow foreign nationals to enter their home countries. However, it is only the first step to go abroad, in fact, there are many problems, because foreign consulates determine whether an individual has the qualifications to travel to their home countrytends to screen out a lot of applicants.
Even if it is finally landed, there will be many systems when entering other countries. Some countries have regulations on what people can bring into the countryFor example, the amount of cash, tobacco and alcohol that you carry with you.
Now, China and Thailand are visa-freeIn fact, it provides convenience for Chinese and Thai nationals to travel and enter other countriesTo a large extent, these procedures will no longer be a problem for tourists.
Actually,The convenience is not only reflected in the procedures of going abroad, but also provides more possibilities for individuals to exchange experience and cooperate. Because not all enterprises meet the requirements of cooperation with the company, and indeed as the boss of the company will want to increase their own development opportunities, they will improve their competitiveness by exploring overseas markets.
With the visa-free provision between China and Thailand, businessmen from both places have more time to explore overseas markets and seek opportunities to cooperate with local individuals.
Visa exemption brings more than just the convenience of the travel process! As a result, the exchanges and ties between the two countries will be closer. So what are the special customs of Thailand? What are some of the customs in our country that arouse the curiosity of Thai tourists?
In terms of dress habits,In general, the traditional Thai costume still maintains the simple traditionBut it's also exotic. Among them, the traditional costume worn by men is called "tripping tail mantle" sarong, and women are dressed in "women's tube skirts".
This custom has been popular in the area since 1910. In terms of color selection,Locals are especially fond of red and yellow, and brown is taboo. Although modern clothing is now the choice of Thai people, it is still traditional Thai clothing that accounts for a large proportion.
And the dress habits of our country are different from the Thai tradition. Due to the vast territory of our country, according to the climate and the characteristics of ethnic settlements, ethnic minorities in various places have their own traditional costumes, and the costumes of each place have a special but beautiful meaning.
In terms of basic etiquette, Thai society also does not encourage arguing with others in public and being aggressive, which is considered shameful by the locals. And that's not all,They also consider man's left hand to be uncleanTherefore, when accepting business cards or items from othersIt should be received with the right hand.
And Thailand's most classic salute with folded hands on the chestIn fact, it is a greeting gift for local residents, similar to the handshake in the West. And the higher the hands are raised, the more respect the person has for the other person.
Therefore, when others fold their hands on themselves, they also need to return the same salute. Although there is no such complicated meeting etiquette in our country, when you need to communicate with strangers or meet elders, you still need to shake hands or bow to express your respect for each other.
Finally, there are also local taboos to be aware of when traveling in Thailand. First of all,Do not engage in unseemly behaviour in public, such as kissing or shaking hands.
And when playing at the local beachIt is not recommended for visitors to sunbathe if they are too exposed. Although this does not violate local laws, it still conflicts with local Buddhist beliefs.
And that's not all,In Thailand, it is not possible to use a red pen to write information such as a person's last name. Personal clothing is also not allowed to be hung in areas where people pass. In terms of these traditions, our country actually has similar requirements.
The visa-free exemption between China and Thailand is bound to promote the exchange of culture and customs between tourists from the two places, and understanding the unique customs of Thailand is also more conducive to improving the travel experiencePaying attention to local taboos can also avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and conflicts.