Tourists at a market in Ayutthaya, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand and China on January 28 signed an agreement to waive visa requirements for each other's nationals within the framework of China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Bangkok.
The agreement, signed after the talks between Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, allows people from the two nations to travel to one another's country visa-free from March 1.
Thai authorities hoped that the agreement will encourage more Chinese tourists to travel to Thailand, helping the country to stimulate tourism - an economic industry that is struggling to recover after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara said the agreement will facilitate travel and tourism between the two countries while his Chinese counterpart also welcomed the agreement.
Details of the visa arrangements were not announced, but earlier this month Thai officials said the deal would allow stays of up to 30 days per visit.
China was a top source for Thailand's tourism industry, a major driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy before COVID-19, but the return of Chinese tourists to Thailand has been slow.
In 2023, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand plunged to 3.5 million from 11 million in 2019 before the pandemic.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang is visiting Thailand from January 26-29 at the invitation of Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara./.
