Thailand and China agreed on Sunday to waive visa requirements for each other's nationals to facilitate travel and tourism between the two countries.
Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi signed the mutual visa exemption, which takes effect on March 1, at a ceremony after meeting in Bangkok.
"This visa-free era will bring people-to-people exchanges to a new height," Wang told a joint press conference.
China was a top source for Thailand's tourism industry, a major driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.
"There will be a big increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand," Wang said.
Beijing and Bangkok also pledged to speed up the construction of the China-Thailand railway and work together in combating transnational crimes, Wang said.
