Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara at the signing ceremony in Bangkok on Jan. 28. (Photo: asia.nikkei.com) Hanoi (VNA) - Thailandand China agreed on January 28 to waive visa requirements for each other'snationals to facilitate travel and tourism between the two countries, hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thai Foreign MinisterParnpree Bahiddha-nukara and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi signed the document to this effect, which takes effect on March 1, at a ceremony after meeting inBangkok.
Wang Yi said that thevisa-free era will bring people-to-people exchanges to a new height and therewill be a big increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.
China was a top sourcefor Thailand's tourism industry, a major driver of Southeast Asia'ssecond-largest economy before the pandemic, but the return of Chinese tourists toThailand has been slow.
The number of Chinesetourists to Thailand plunged to 3.5 million in 2023 from 11 million in 2019before the pandemic.
The twosides also pledged to speed-up the construction of the China-Thailand railwayand work together in combating transnational crimes./.
