STORY: China-Thailand visa exemption agreement marks first anniversary
SHOOTING TIME: March 1, 2025
DATELINE: March 2, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:05
LOCATION: MOHAN PORT, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Mohan Port
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): NONSEE CHOOSAK, Tourist from Thailand
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): HENGCHAROEN SUPITCHA, Tourist from Thailand

STORYLINE:

The mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand marked its first anniversary on Saturday.

In "visa-free era," bilateral tourism exchanges have flourished between the two countries.

Over the past year, as one of the most convenient land ports of China to Southeast Asia, Mohan Port in southwest China's Yunnan Province has processed over 32,000 Thai travelers, with visa-free entries accounting for over 99 percent of the arrivals, according to local authorities.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): NONSEE CHOOSAK, Tourist from Thailand
"I'm from Bangkok, Thailand. On my first visit to China, I visited Kunming, a beautiful city, which is easily accessible by train from Thailand."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Thai): HENGCHAROEN SUPITCHA, Tourist from Thailand
"I am very happy to be in China again. I like Chinese cities, such as Kunming, Shangri-La, Dali and Lijiang. And this time I come to Xishuangbanna. I think the visa-free policy between China and Thailand is very good, saving us a lot of time and money to get a visa. The scenery in China is very good and the Chinese people are friendly to the Thai people, which makes us more willing to come to China."

According to data from the China Cultural Center in Bangkok, the number of Thai visitors to China surged by 493.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of last year. Meanwhile, figures from Thailand's tourism authorities indicated that 6.73 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2024, marking a 91.7 percent increase from the previous year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Mohan Port, China.
(XHTV)