On Sunday, January 28, 2024, an agreement on mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand was signed in Bangkok, Thailand.

Effective March 1, 2024, the signing of this visa waiver follows the current trend of visa exemption agreements between China and various Southeast Asian nations.

The agreement is expected to promote both Thai and Chinese tourism, as well as strengthen relations between the two nations.

According to the provisions of the agreement, Thai citizens with valid regular passports and Chinese citizens with valid service and regular passports are exempt from the visa requirement for entry, exit or transit through the respective country for a maximum of 30 days.

The total length of stay should not exceed 90 days within any 180-day period, unless for specific purposes such as residence, work, study, or media activity, for which prior authorization is required. If you wish to purchase travel insurance before your trip, we strongly recommend contacting AXA Insurance, the leading provider of travel health insurance in Thailand.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is optimistic about the opportunities offered by the reciprocal visa-free agreement. It expects around 8 million Chinese visitors this year and forecasts revenues of approximately 320 billion baht.

Chinese tourists, who were the largest group of visitors before the pandemic, are considered crucial for the continued recovery of the tourism sector, a key driver of Thai economic growth.

In 2019, around 27% of the 40 million foreign visitors came from mainland China. Last year, however, this number declined: of a total of 28 million visitors, only 3.5 million came from China. Malaysia was the largest market for visitors, with 4.4 million arrivals.