Chinese tourists will soon be able to visit the Vietnmese border town of Mong Cai without a visa for up to three days in a row.

Once the policy begins at the beginning of next year, passenger cars with up to nine seats will be able to drive across the border to Mong Cai in Quang Ninh from the Chinese city of Dongcai. The number of Chinese cars allowed into Mong Cai are not to exceed 100 on a daily basis.

A pilot program for the policy has already begun.

Driving vacations in Southeast Asia have become popular with Chinese tourists equipped with recreational vehicles. However, a spike in road accidents and waste management problems led to strict regulations imposed on Chinese drivers in Thailand this past August, effectively dropping their numbers to zero.

Vietnam has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists, and make up the majority of foreign visitors to the country. However, the influx of Chinese tourists have caused friction in a number of incidents, some of which have to do with Chinese tourists insisting on using Chinese currency.

Meanwhile, Chinese tourists have also been flocking to Jeju Island ever since South Korea dropped visa requirements for the tourist area. However, some locals are calling for the visa-free status to be overturned against China after a string of violent incidents were committed by Chinese tourists this past fall.

In the first nine months of this year, some two million Chinese tourists visited Vietnam.