Thailand, China to permanently waive visas for each other's citizens from March

By Reuters January 1, 2024 | 09:09 pm PT

A Chinese tourist is welcomed by Thai traditional puppets during a welcome ceremony of the first batch of Chinese tourists under a five-month visa-free entry scheme at Bangkok's International Airport, Thailand, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Thailand and China will permanently waive visa requirements for each other's citizens from March, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which relies heavily on tourism, in September waived entry requirements for Chinese tourists until February this year.

"This will upgrade the relationship between the two countries," Srettha told reporters.

In 2023, Thailand welcomed 28 million foreign tourists, slightly above its target, generating 1.2 trillion baht ($34.93 billion) of revenue, government data showed.

Of that, the top source market was Malaysia with 4.5 million visitors, followed by 3.5 million arrivals from China.

That compared with a pre-Covid record of 39 million arrivals with 11 million from China.