Thailand will grant visa exemption to Chinese and Kazakhstani tourists, starting on September 25, in an effort to boost arrivals over the yearend, said PM Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday.

The arrivals of Chinese tourists during the first seven months of this year have fallen short of target.

Speaking after chairing his first cabinet meeting, Srettha said Kazakhstan tourists were included due to the harsh winter weather in the country. Moreover, tourists from the central Asian country have shown interest in visiting Thailand, Srettha said. The exemption will end in February and the government will assess the impact, he added.

Ministry of Tourism and Sports had forecast that five to seven million Chinese tourists would visit Thailand between January and July this year, but only two million actually arrived, mainly due to the economic slowdown in China. Many Chinese have chosen to travel domestically, which is far cheaper.