The Thailand government has expressed its intention to expand the visa waiver programme to more countries as the country takes steps to boost the tourism sector, Visa Guide reported.

Citizens of Thailand and China can travel freely between the two countries from March 1, following an agreement.

The country plans to establish a permanent visa-free policy. Introduced initially as a temporary measure in September last year and scheduled to end on February 29, 2024, Thailand has opted to make this policy a permanent fix.

More than 22,000 Chinese entered Thailand within the initial two days of the visa waiver policy, according to the report.

Thailand has experienced growth in the tourism industry since the beginning of visa-free policies, Reuters reported. As a result, from January 1 to February 11, it recorded a remarkable 48 per cent increase in foreign tourist arrivals compared to the previous year, with China emerging as the main source market.

Thailand welcomed 28 million foreign tourists in 2023, with notable contributions from Malaysia (4.4 million visitors) and China (3.4 million visitors).

The Southeast Asian country aims to generate $100 billion in 2024 through the tourism sector. It planned to waive visa requirements for visitors from India and Taiwan starting from December 2023 to May 2024.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects an additional influx of 700,000 new arrivals to the country through the programme.