Srettha Thavisin, prime minister of Thailand, delivers a speech at the signing ceremony in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a strategic cooperation letter of intent with eight leading Chinese companies in Beijing on Thursday: Ant Group, Trip.com Group, Huawei, iQIYI, JegoTrip, Meituan and Spring Airlines.

The goal is to further meet the diverse needs of Chinese tourists, rebuild the confidence of Chinese tourists, and comprehensively promote the industrial upgrading and innovative development of Thailand's tourism sector.

Srettha Thavisin, prime minister of Thailand, says the Thai government highly values and actively promotes cooperation in various fields with China and believes that multifaceted cooperation will further enhance mutual understanding between the two countries.

To encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Thailand, the visa-free policy for Chinese tourists will continue until Feb 29.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, says the signing of the letter of intent marks the beginning of a new phase of comprehensive and high-quality cooperation in the promotion of Thai tourism in the Chinese market.

Collaboration with eight Chinese companies will meet the diverse travel needs of tourists, she says.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand will use this collaboration as a framework and continue to work closely with all partners to do its utmost to ensure the safety of tourists traveling to Thailand, she adds.

From Jan 1 to Oct 15, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Thailand reached more than 2.645 million, making China the second-largest source of inbound tourists to Thailand.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand signs strategic cooperation letter of intent with Chinese companies in Beijing on Oct 19 to attract more Chinese visitors. [Photo provided to China Daily]