On the banks of the Mekong River, with a clear afternoon sky, many tourists came to visit and check in at the King Zheng Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Yu Fan from Zhejiang, dressed in traditional Thai clothing and wearing a Thai hairpin in the same color scheme, is looking for the best angle to take photos on the steps. She told reporters that she deliberately traveled to Thailand without a visa. "I have already visited attractions such as Siam Square and Shuimen Temple in Bangkok, and I will also visit Phuket in a few days."
On March 1st of this year, the China Thailand Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement officially came into effect, and the popularity of mutual visits between Chinese and Thai tourists continues to rise. According to data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, as of March 31, Thailand has received over 9.37 million foreign tourists this year, generating approximately 454.7 billion Thai baht (approximately 5.13 Thai baht) in revenue, with over 1.75 million Chinese tourists, firmly ranking first. The arrival of Chinese tourists has driven the recovery of Thailand's tourism industry. Zhang Zhechen is a hotel practitioner in Pattaya, Thailand. Since March this year, he has clearly felt the local tourism industry continuing to heat up. He said, "Since March, our hotel occupancy rate has exceeded 90%, and there are many Chinese tourists on the streets, alleys, and beaches of Pattaya." Adi Qaradanannon, Secretary General of the Thai Tourism Association, said that in 2023, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand will be about 3.5 million. Driven by policies such as visa exemption between Thailand and China, it is expected to increase to 6 million to 8 million this year.
In February of this year, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand and the National Emergency Medicine Research Institute under the Ministry of Public Health announced a funding of 50 million Thai baht for medical expenses to be used for travel insurance compensation for foreign tourists traveling in Thailand. "China has always been a major source of tourists for Thailand. We hope to showcase Thailand's continuous efforts to improve tourism safety standards and its unique charm as an ideal tourist destination to Chinese tourists," said Tapene, Director of the National Tourism Administration of Thailand
The mutual exemption of visas between China and Thailand has also increased the enthusiasm of Thai tourists to travel to China. Data shows that in March this year, the number of Thai nationals entering the Xishuangbanna Airport in Yunnan, China increased by 1183.87% month on month. On the afternoon of March 1st, Thai tourist Santiti posted a photo of his passport cover for successfully entering China on social media, attracting tens of thousands of viewers and likes. Santi Di said that the visa exemption between Thailand and China is a great thing for someone like him who enjoys traveling to China.
Xu Nalin, President of the Thailand Tourism Association, stated that the visa free agreement will promote the development of tourism industry between Thailand and China, as well as promote commercial exchanges between the two countries.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and President of the Thailand China Friendship Association, Gong Taparancy, stated that the implementation of visa exemption between Thailand and China reflects the further enhancement of friendly relations between the two countries, which will bring more benefits and opportunities to the two countries. The more convenient exchanges between the people of Thailand and China will drive the growth of tourism revenue, promote exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in economic, trade, culture, education and other fields, help deepen understanding and friendship between the people, and lay a solid humanistic foundation for the long-term development of bilateral relations.