China First Timer
China's 30-day visa-free entry is set to end on 31 December 2026. Will it be extended?

Do citizens of Thailand need a visa for China?

Rules for ordinary passports from Thailand, mainland China only (Hong Kong and Macao have their own rules). Checked 23 October 2026.

No, for stays of up to 30 days.

Citizens of Thailand with ordinary passports can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, exchanges or transit, under a mutual visa-exemption agreement. Citizens of Thailand can visit Hainan province visa-free for up to 30 days when entering through Hainan. No more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Visa-free entry for up to 30 days

Citizens of Thailand with ordinary passports can visit mainland China without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, exchanges or transit, under a mutual visa-exemption agreement. Work, study and journalism still need a visa.

Bring a passport valid for at least six months, your first hotel's address and your return or onward ticket, and fill in the online arrival card before you fly.

240-hour visa-free transit

Thailand is not on the 240-hour visa-free transit list. A 24-hour direct transit without a visa is still available to most nationalities when you connect to an international flight.

Hainan

Visa-free stays of up to 30 days in Hainan province when you enter through a Hainan port; you cannot travel on to the rest of mainland China on this basis.

Note for Thailand: No more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Check your exact trip: days, route and onward flight.

Open the visa checker

Official sources

Rules change. Confirm with the National Immigration Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before you book.

Something wrong or out of date on this page? Tell us

Don't include personal details. A link to the official source helps us check quickly.