Thailand is no longer Malaysia’s third-largest source of tourists; now China is.

Malaysia has gotten a lot more Chinese tourists lately. In the first half of this year, 1.44 million Chinese tourists came to the country. China is now the third biggest group of tourists, after people from Singapore and Indonesia. This is a big change. According to statistics from Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Thailand has been pushed to fourth place with 813,000 visitors, down from first place.

Between January and June, Malaysia had a total of 11.8 million foreign tourists, which is 29% more than the same time last year. Since China and the United States no longer need visas to travel to each other, the number of tourists from China has almost tripled from last year’s 498,000.

Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, said that the 30-day visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens, which started in December of last year and has been extended until 2026, is a big reason for this increase. This event shows that Malaysia is becoming more and more popular as a place for Chinese people to visit.