The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) also anticipates a significant recovery, expecting an influx of 8 million travellers – a 75% rebound compared to pre-Covid levels in 2020.
Seen as a notable achievement of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s government, the lifting of visa requirements should have a positive impact on Thailand’s tourism sector and bilateral relations.
Srettha announced on January 2 that the two countries had agreed to a permanent visa exemption for travel between the two countries.
This follows Thailand’s earlier visa waiver for Chinese nationals for a 30-day stay from September 25, 2023, to February 9, 2024. Now both countries have permanently cancelled visas as of March 1.
Airlines, meanwhile, have been quick to respond with plans to introduce new flight routes to several Chinese cities and increase frequencies to cater to the growing travel demand.
Thai Airways International announced its summer flight schedule starting from March 31, with increased frequencies to key Chinese destinations, namely:
