BANGKOK -- Thailand's Royal Gazette has announced to extend the waiver on visa-on-arrival fee for nationals of particular countries until the end of April to boost tourism.

The waiver on the 2,000-baht(about $60 ) visa-on-arrival fee for nationals for 20 counties, including China, was set end on Jan 13. It started on last November.

The Thai government expects the extension to benefit foreign tourists, especially tourists from China, and draw them to Thailand during the Chinese New Year in early February and the water splashing festival in the middle of April.

The numbers of tourists arriving from the Chinese mainland had significantly dropped in the third quarter of last year.