Staff members welcome Chinese tourists at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China on Monday, marking the launch of the nation's fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market. Photo: Xinhua

China and Thailand are expected to sign an agreement on mutual visa exemption, which will officially come into effect on March 1, 2024, with Chinese experts noting that the policy will further promote people-to-people exchanges and bilateral relations between both countries.

According to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will sign an agreement on mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara during his visit to Thailand from Friday to Monday.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that by promoting the implementation of the visa-free policy, Thailand will see the domestic tourism market flourish again following the return of Chinese tourists, local media reported.

According to Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, over 150,000 tourists from the Chinese mainland are expected to come to Thailand during the upcoming Chinese New Year, marking a 335 percent increase from 2023, as the holiday becomes a major economic boost for the country to develop its tourism industry, local media reported on Monday.

According to a report sent by Qunar, a major travel platform, to the Global Times on Tuesday, Thailand is the most popular destination for Chinese tourists traveling overseas during the Spring Festival holidays.

Chinese experts noted that the policy is a mutually beneficial arrangement and will definitely play an important role in promoting the people-to-people exchanges as well as bilateral relations between the two countries.

Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Friday that the mutual visa exemption between China and Thailand will promote tourism in both countries, and as Thailand is a major tourist destination in Southeast Asia and the whole world, the exchange of personnel between China and Thailand is bound to increase, and is expected to reach a record high from the past three years.

Gu added that the visa exemption will also promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, such as an increase in students studying abroad from both sides. "Additionally, the political and economic cooperation between China and Thailand, especially mutual investment and trade, will further increase," the expert said.

In addition to Thailand, China has reached visa exemption agreements with other Southeast Asian countries. China and Singapore on Thursday agreed on mutual visa exemption, which will officially come into effect on February 9, 2024, while Malaysia granted 30-day visa-free travel for Chinese citizens starting from December 1, 2023, after China announced the unilateral visa-free policy for Malaysia beginning on the same day.

Analysts pointed out that the visa-free policy between China and Southeast Asian countries will promote further open exchanges in the region and also have a positive spillover effect on other countries, which fully demonstrates China's commitment to high-level opening-up.