The Thai government has announced it will waive tourist visa fees for three months as part of its attempt to boost the country's tourism industry.  The visa fee waiving program is targeted mainly for Chinese tourists, who previously had to pay a small fee to enter Thailand. The global economic downturn, coupled with the political instability that led to the closure of Bangkok's two airports for over a week last December, will have a huge impact on the Thai economy, which relies heavily on money generated by the tourism sector. The government has allocated 1 billion baht of its 115-billion baht stimulus package to lure more tourists. The government is also considering lowering aircraft landing fees at the Bangkok International Airport to attract more foreign carriers to fly to Thailand.
AFP

Budget carrier AirAsia began offering 100,000 free tickets to Thailand on Wednesday in an attempt to lure back foreign visitors after Bangkok's airports were seized by anti-government protesters recently.  The airline said the seats would be available between Wednesday and Friday, and cover services from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jakarta, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam.  The Tourism Authority of Thailand said the campaign would help draw tourists back to the country faster and help boost the Thai economy next next year.  "Thailand is back to normal and the campaign will help us maintain our tourist projections, especially from the Asian region," said TAT governor Pornsiri Manohan.
Agence France Presse