
The government worked to promote the tourism industry as an economic driver this year, as seen with the agreement of a permanent visa-free scheme between Thailand and China.
The Chinese government waived visa requirements for Thais from March 1, paving the way for a stronger tourism exchange after the Thai government granted Chinese the same privilege in 2023.
Increasing visa-free travel for Thai passport holders was a Pheu Thai Party focus, starting with the administration of former premier Srettha Thavisin.
Thailand tested the waters by offering a visa exemption for Chinese tourists in a trial phase from September 2023 to February 2024, as China ranked as the top inbound market with around 10 million visitors in 2019.
Tourism bodies and aviation operators said a mutual visa-free scheme led to a healthier balance between inbound and outbound travellers of both countries, providing them with opportunities to plan more flights to cater to a steadier market.
In the past, flights bound for China were mainly dominated by Chinese tourists returning from visiting Thailand.
After the mutual visa exemption, Thai AirAsia reported in March a threefold increase of Thai passengers travelling to China compared with January, when China still required visas from Thai tourists.
The Thai Travel Agents Association, an outbound tourism association, said China immediately became a trending destination for Thai travellers, nearly matching the most popular destination of Japan, as China is a large country with a wide range of attractions.
Online travel platform Klook reported a spike in searches for attractions in China, such as Shanghai Disneyland, among Thai tourists.
The Thai government also signed a mutual visa-free agreement with other countries, such as Kazakhstan.
The government aims to roll out the "Six Countries, One Destination" policy, where foreigners can visit Thailand and Southeast Asia through a seamless visa programme, in the same manner as Europe's Schengen visa.