PHUKET: The first batch of eight Chinese tourists have arrived in this southern resort island to learn Muay Thai under 90-day "Non-Ed" visas as part of the country's soft power policy.
Paitoon Chutimakornkul, an advisor to the prime minister and the sports sub-committee, along with several other officials, welcomed the eight Chinese tourists at Phuket International Airport on Saturday.
The Chinese tourists are the first group of foreign tourists travelling to Thailand under Non-Immigrant ED Visa, or Non-Ed Visa, to learn Thai boxing.
This type of visa allows foreign tourists who take Muay Thai classes in Thailand to stay in the country for a total of 90 days, providing them with a 30-day addition to the previous allowance of 60 days, Mr Paitoon said.
This eliminates the need for these tourists to travel back to their countries to extend their Thailand visas to stay in the Kingdom longer in order to complete their Thai boxing classes, he said.
The programme is part of the sports sub-committee's policy as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is promoting Muay Thai as one of the country's soft powers, he said.
It has been well received as shown by the many countries that have contacted the Sports Authority of Thailand's (SAT) Board of Boxing Sport, which will assist the participants with the documentation they are required to have to participate in the programme, according to Mr Paitoon.
"The programme will promote Muay Thai on the global scale and lead to the popularisation of Thailand's other sports,'' he said.
On Friday Pimol Srivikorn, an adviser to the prime minister and chairman of the sports sub-committee in the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, said that the SAT and his sub-committee had conducted a second trial to grant certificates to Muay Thai teachers to allow them to teach overseas, with 11 candidates passing the trial.
"They will be teaching Muay Thai from tomorrow (Saturday) to Thursday in Saudi Arabia, which is interested in bringing in Muay Thai trainers from Thailand," Mr Pimol said.