Thailand and China yesterday agreed on to waive visa requirements for each other’s nationals to facilitate travel and tourism between the two countries, hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) signed the mutual visa exemption, which takes effect on March 1, at a ceremony after meeting in Bangkok.
“This visa-free era will bring people-to-people exchanges to a new height,” Wang told a joint news conference.
Photo: EPA-EFE
China was a top source for Thailand’s tourism industry before the pandemic, but the return of Chinese tourists to Thailand has been slow.
“There will be a big increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand,” Wang said.
The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand plunged to 3.5 million last year from 11 million in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beijing and Bangkok also pledged to speed-up the construction of the China-Thailand railway and work together in combating transnational crimes, Wang said.
He and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held talks in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday about issues including bilateral relations, Taiwan and Iran.
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