China’s visa-free deals with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore could trigger Asean trade, investment boost

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said earlier this month that Thailand and China would permanently waive visa requirements for each other’s citizens from March

China is seeking to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc already its largest trading partner

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Chinese arrivals in Thailand were estimated at 2.7 million last year, lower than the target of 5 million. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:00am, 14 Jan 2024

Enthusiasm for more regional economic cooperation could jump, analysts said, after China’s efforts to tap the Southeast Asian market partly paid off as Thailand followed hot on the heels of Malaysia by announcing a permanent visa-free policy for Chinese visitors from March.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced the “upgrade” of the bilateral relationship at the start of January, with Thai businesses anticipating more Chinese tourists, increased exports of rice and durian and additional China-invested factories.

Analysts view the move as a catalyst for Beijing to expand its influence in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) bloc, which has grown to an export destination larger than the United States and the European Union.

“That would really trigger the demand for people to go to China and look for business opportunities,” said Kraisin Vongsurakrai, director secretary general of the Thailand-China Business Council.

In the past when Thai businessmen wanted to visit exhibitions and trade fairs [in China], they had to plan ahead

Kraisin Vongsurakrai

Businessmen are “quite excited” by the arrangement, he added, with China set to offer Thai visitors “some sort of happiness” by offering a reciprocal arrangement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on January 2 that the mutual visa exemption policy, once implemented, would “conform to the fundamental interests” of both parties, and also further strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

“In the past when Thai businessmen wanted to visit exhibitions and trade fairs [in China], they had to plan ahead,” Vongsurakrai added.