With Thailand’s new government, led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Pheu Thai Party, finally in place, there is growing anticipation among Thai business leaders for a swift economic recovery.

In a recent interview with Thai PBS World, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Sanan Angubolkul, said tourism plays a vital role in driving the economy. He urged the government to relax visa rules for tourists quickly, especially for those from China who currently have to go through a lengthy visa application procedure.

“The new government has to attract more tourists to Thailand. This year, we have set a target of 28 to 30 million tourists, including 5 million from China. So far, only 1.8 million Chinese tourists have arrived. The new government should facilitate the electronic visa process, because the current procedure is very inconvenient for Chinese tourists and it takes too long. Another issue is that there are not enough flights on which Chinese tourists can fly in,” he said.

Beyond the visa-related challenges, misconceptions and misinformation about safety in Thailand have also deterred potential tourists, he said.

Social media clips, posted on the popular video-sharing app TikTok by some Chinese people, depict Thailand as an unsafe destination. The clips highlight a range of illegal activities, such as on-line fraud and human trafficking targeting Chinese visitors.

Sanan emphasised that the new government should provide assurance to tourists of their safety while in Thailand and take action to counter misinformation about the country on social media.

“Thai business leaders have raised these issues with Prime Minister Srettha,” he said, referring to a recent meeting the new Thai leader had with a group of high-profile business leaders.

Sanan suggested that the upcoming tourist season for Chinese people, between October and February, is the perfect time for Thailand to implement the visa-free policy.

One of the topics raised during Srettha’s meeting with the business leaders was the imminent water shortage, which will affect both the agricultural and industrial sectors.

“We talked about shortage of water because of El Niño and how to deal with it. One of our friends from WHA Group said that, without preventive measures, there will be a shortage of water in the Eastern Economic Corridor. This is a very serious challenge. Srettha’s administration should be taking this opportunity to reallocate funding to prepare water reservoir and relevant infrastructure. The new government should set a target and this spending should be made within this year,” he said.

Also discussed is the need for a long-term education policy, which would prepare Thailand’s future workforce to cope with digitalisation and the rise in artificial intelligence, he said.

While he was still a prime ministerial hopeful, following the general election in May, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat also met with Sanan and other business leaders. Sanan shared his observations of the two political leaders.

“Khun Pita is young and represents the new generation. Move Forward wanted to move the Thai economy forward as soon as possible and reduce inequality in the society. I think this is what they really wanted to push,” he said.

As for Srettha, Sanan believes that the new prime minister is in charge of a team with a lot of political experience. “They show their desire to work with the private sector. Business leaders’ concerns are over the stability of Pheu Thai’s coalition of 11 parties. It will be a challenge for Prime Minister Srettha to reach consensus.”

Sanan expressed confidence, however, that with its concrete policies, the Pheu Thai-led government should also be able to move the economy forward quickly.

By Franc Han Shih, Thai PBS World