Thai Prime Minister announces permanent removal of visa requirements between Thailand, China

The permanent removal of visa requirements between Thailand and China is scheduled to take effect in March, as announced by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

In an attempt to increase tourism, Thailand initially waived Chinese citizens’ visas in September. This move comes after that. Particularly at a period when Thailand’s appeal to Chinese travelers was waning, the visa-free program has received great reviews.

China is Thailand’s second-largest source market for foreign visitors, behind Malaysians. The Tourism Authority of Thailand projected in November that, in 2023, there may be 3.5 million Chinese visitors altogether, which would be somewhat less than the 4 million target.

Although this figure is much less than the almost 11 million Chinese tourists who came to the country in 2019, it still represents a significant rise over the 270,000 arrivals that were reported in 2022. The tourism agency has set a target of 8.2 million Chinese tourists by 2024.

Thailand was the most popular location for Chinese travelers in 2023, according to Trip.com Group data, despite lower-than-expected Chinese outbound travel figures. According to travel.com, outbound travel bookings have increased significantly—they have increased six times since 2022. With a significant interest in foreign travel expected all year round, the trend is expected to continue in 2024.

Original story by: Asia Gaming Brief