Business
The mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand came into effect on March 1, following similar visa-free arrangements with Singapore and Malaysia, leading to a surge in departures and arrivals in east China's Hangzhou City.
At 7:30 on March 1, a flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport landed in Hangzhou, carrying among its passengers four individuals who directly benefited from the visa-free policy, including Jiang Binbin, a Thai tourist visiting China for the first time.
"Without the visa-free policy, I would have had to fly from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to apply for a visa. Now, the exemption allows us to easily come here and enjoy the beautiful tourist attractions," said Jiang.
On March 1, 109 Thai tourists benefited from this policy for tourism and business negotiations, as reported by airport staff.
The mutual visa exemption has boosted trips and tourism between the two countries. On that day, travel bookings between China and Thailand saw a year-on-year increase of over 30 percent, according to a tourism platform. Thailand has also organized various tourism promotional activities for Chinese tourists, gearing up for the Songkran Festival, the annual celebration of the Thai New Year.
The policy also benefits business travelers.
"I do business with international trade. Before this, I had to apply for an arrival visa with troublesome procedures when traveling to Thailand and Malaysia. Now, with the visa-free policy in effect between China and Thailand, one can pass through customs upon arrival, which is very convenient," said Mr. Lin, a Chinese tourist.
To date, China has established visa-free agreements with over 150 countries, covering various types of visas, and achieved mutual visa exemptions with 22 countries including Singapore, the Maldives, and Kazakhstan. Furthermore, more than 60 countries and regions offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities to Chinese citizens, significantly enhancing the convenience of international travel.