The fee of 2,000 baht (US$60) will be waived between Dec 1 and Jan 31 for travellers from 21 countries, including China, Taiwan, India and Saudi Arabia, government spokesman Puttiphong Punnakan told reporters.

The scheme is expected to increase tourist numbers by at least 30% during the period, he said.

In September, overall tourist arrivals rose just 2.1% from a year earlier, but arrivals from China fell almost 15% following a boat accident in July, which killed 47 Chinese tourists, making it Thailand’s worst tourist-related disaster in years.

Last year, Chinese visitors made up nearly a third of the record 35.38 million arrivals in Thailand.

Tourism receipts account for about 12% of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, making it one of the most important drivers of its growth.

The tourism ministry has forecast 37.5 million foreign tourists this year, up about 6%.