Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand said Tuesday that his country will permanently grant visa-free entry to Chinese nationals effective March 1.
Thailand has allowed Chinese visitors visa-free entry since last September, but the policy was due to expire on Feb. 29.
Prime Minister Srettha said the decision to make the policy permanent came after negotiations with Beijing to grant the same privilege to Thai nationals visiting China.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin would not confirm Srettha’s announcement, but told reporters in Beijing that “competent authorities” on both sides are “in close communication” on the matter.
The two sides will allow tourists from their respective countries to remain for up to 30 days per visit.
Thailand’s decision to grant permanent visa-free status to Chinese visitors is aimed at restoring the country’s vital tourism sector. Thailand welcomed 40 million visitors in 2019 – 11 million from China alone – but the tourism sector was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic the following year.
Tourism has slowly recovered, with 28 million foreign visitors entering Thailand last year, including 3.5 million from China, second only to Malaysia, which sent at least 4.4 million tourists.
