Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, is hoping for a rebound in Chinese arrivals in May during the Labor Day holiday, after witnessing a decline due to safety concerns.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand dropped by 12% compared to last year, totaling only 1 million in the initial two months of this year, due to economic difficulties and worries about travel security.

Bangkok Post

cited according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

In February, the number of visitors from China decreased by 45% when compared to the previous year’s figures for the same month.

The second biggest economy in Southeast Asia aimed to attract a minimum of 9 million tourists from China this year.

Nevertheless, safety concerns intensified after the prominent abduction of the Chinese actor.
Wang Xing
Also known as Xing Xing, in January, measures were taken to deter possible tourists from China, which is the nation’s biggest contributor of international visitors.

Cancellations of flights by Chinese tourists to Thailand increased by 94% in January, and data covering the first half of February suggests that travel reservations continue to be lower than those recorded for the same period in 2024, as reported.

Bloomberg Intelligence

research

.

The TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing in Asia and the South Pacific, Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, has shown confidence that tourist numbers from China will improve in May, aligning with China’s five-day Labor Day holiday.

“People have already started making bookings for this period,” she said.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents predicts that Chinese visitor numbers to Thailand will likely hit around 7 million for this year, which does not meet the government’s expectation of 9 million.

Nation Thailand

reported.

Along with safety issues, the association noted that Thailand is increasingly competing with other locations like Japan and Vietnam.