Thailand welcomes further cooperation with China in a more open manner and will deeply connect with the Belt and Road Initiative, taking Thai-Chinese friendship to a new level, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday in an interview with Chinese media in Beijing.

The Southeast Asian country's leader was attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and conducting an official visit in China over the past week.

"As great neighbors, Thailand and China share a close 'blood relationship'. Through this visit, I want to send a signal that Thailand has opened its doors and welcomes more economic and trade cooperation with others," he said, adding that Thailand has a very good business environment and offers good tax reduction policies for foreign companies.

China is a big and friendly country, Srettha said, pointing out that these characteristics provide a commendable foundation for business exchanges.

"During my visit, I met with leaders of several large Chinese companies, including CITIC, Ping An and Huawei. They are all very interested in investment opportunities in Thailand," he said.

The BRI is a global program that involves more than 150 countries. Srettha said the initiative offers great opportunities for participating countries as it connects them in terms of transportation, trade and people-to-people exchanges.

His new government is trying to accelerate the realization of its "Land Bridge" project, with the hope of deepening its integration with the BRI, in order to bring connectivity to a new level, said Srettha.

The Thai project aims to connect the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand with the construction of a 90-kilometer road and rail transport route, which means goods transportation between the two ends will not have to pass through the Strait of Malacca, thereby reducing the transport time and costs.

This will greatly promote the development of trade, Srettha said. "Goods from China can reach India and the Middle East faster through the 'Land Bridge' project, which can shorten the journey by six to nine days compared to going through the Strait of Malacca."

China is Thailand's largest trading partner and one of its main sources of foreign direct investment.

With the booming development of the electric vehicle industry in China, Srettha said that more leading Chinese EV manufacturers are investing in Thailand and establishing factories, making Thailand an EV-manufacturing center in Southeast Asia.

He emphasized the need for stronger cooperation between Thailand and China in the industry to create more local job opportunities in Thailand and further benefit global consumers.

Thai fruits are popular in China, Srettha said, meanwhile stressing the great potential for further exports. On average, according to the Thai prime minister, a single Chinese consumes only 0.7 kilograms of durian per year, while in Thailand, the average consumption is 5 kg per person, and in Malaysia, the figure is 11 kg per person.

"So, the huge Chinese market can be further explored. We hope that more Chinese people can taste more and better Thai fruits," he said.

In the post-pandemic era, the tourism industry is crucial for Thailand's economic recovery. Thus in late September, the government announced a five-month visa waiver policy for Chinese tourists.

Srettha stated that more than 2.1 million Chinese tourists have visited Thailand this year, making China its second-largest source of tourists after Malaysia.

"Why do Chinese people choose Thailand? Because they love our culture, the people, the geographical locations, the sunshine, the sea and the food," he said, expressing a hope for more Chinese tourists to go there for holidays.

The Thai prime minister added that his government places a high priority on security and will further enhance protection measures for overseas tourists, particularly those from China.

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