Thai prime minister says visa-free policy for Chinese visitors to be made permanent in March
Associated PressDEC 31 2023
The announcement of permanent visa-free travel between Thailand and China is great news for both countries, their citizens, and their economies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the global economy, and Thailand’s reliance on tourism made it especially vulnerable to travel restrictions. This new program will allow Thailand to benefit from wealthy Chinese tourists and promote strengthened ties between the nations.
China is desperate to inject life into its struggling economy in order to overcome its bungled COVID recovery. Most of the attention of the visa waiver program is being diverted to Thailand’s tourism sector, but China’s self-imposed isolation for three years caused its once-thriving tourism industry to crater. China has dropped most of its austere COVID policies, but its economy has not rebounded as quickly as leadership thought — leading to visa waivers and other attempts to desperately promote prosperity.