Thailand, China to waive visa norms for each other's citizens from March

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

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

A Chinese tourist is welcomed by Thai traditional puppets during a welcome ceremony at Bangkok's International Airport. (REUTERS)

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.