Thailand and China will permanently waive visa requirements for each other's citizens from March, according to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin .
After the announcement, searches related to Thailand increased by over 90 percent. Flight searches from Shanghai to Bangkok, Beijing to Bangkok saw a surge of over 40 percent.
Data from Travelgo.com shows that during the New Year holiday, Thailand was Chinese tourists’ top overseas destination. Nearly 40,000 travelers flew to Thailand during the New Year holiday. There were over 5,000 flights between China and Thailand over the holiday
Last year, Thailand faced bad publicity related to scams, fraud, and kidnapping, becoming a momentarily "dangerous country," significantly impacting the tourism industry but these safety concerns are fading.
Malaysia also has a visa-free policy for Chinese citizens entering the country for 30 days.
