China, Thailand sign mutual visa waiver agreements

Visa Waiver: Thailand and China have signed a pact to waive visa requirements for each other's nationals to boost seamless traveling and tourism between the both countries, hurt by COVID-19.

The Thailand Foreign Minister, Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi inked the mutual visa exemption set to take effect on March 1.

"This visa-free era will bring people-to-people exchanges to a new height," Wang said in a joint press conference.

China was a top source for Thailand's tourism industry, a major driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy before COVID, but the return of Chinese tourists to Thailand has been slow.

"There will be a big increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand," Wang said.

The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand plunged to 3.5 million last year from 11 million in 2019 before the pandemic.

Beijing and Bangkok also pledged to speed-up the construction of the China-Thailand railway and work together in combating transnational crimes, Wang said.

Wang Yi and the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held talks in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday about issues including bilateral relations, Taiwan and Iran.