Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand on May 1, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BANGKOK – Thailand is targeting 8 million tourists from China this year, as the country will waive visa requirements for Chinese citizens starting March 1, the Thai government said on Friday.

The response to the visa waiver announcement on Tuesday was excellent, with an over 90 percent spike in the number of searches for Thailand on a major Chinese travel platform, government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said in a statement.

READ MORE: Thailand to grant visa-free travel to visitors from China

The visa exemption will increase the number of flights between the two nations, lowering airfares and helping boost Chinese visitors to meet the year-end target, he added.

Thailand had previously granted temporary visa waiver status for visitors from China, which was set to end on Feb 29, 2024.

The Southeast Asian country welcomed 28 million foreign tourist arrivals last year, including 4.56 million visitors from Malaysia and 3.51 million from China, the two largest source markets, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Tourism plays a crucial role in the kingdom's economy, with 1.2 trillion baht (about $34.52 billion) in revenue generated from foreign visitors in 2023, the ministry data showed.

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In pre-pandemic 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for about 28 percent of the nearly 40 million foreign tourists to Thailand. Tourism accounts for about 12 percent of the country's GDP.