Thailand tourists surge by 21% despite safety fears
Foreign tourists are flocking to Thailand in record numbers, shrugging off safety concerns following the high-profile trafficking case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was abducted and forced to work in an illegal call centre in Myanmar last month.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 3.97 million visitors arrived in Thailand as of February 2, marking a 21% increase from the same period last year. Chinese tourists led the way with 710,687 arrivals, despite reports of tour groups cancelling trips over security fears.
Arrivals in January alone surged 22% to 3.7 million, fuelled by travel for Chinese New Year celebrations on January 29. The Chinese New Year week saw 946,958 tourists, up 7.5% from the previous week.
To counter concerns, Thailand has ramped up safety measures to reassure visitors. China remains Thailand’s largest tourist market, with 6.7 million out of 35.5 million travellers in 2024 expected to come from the country.
Tourism revenue has already hit 195 billion baht this year, with Thailand aiming for 3.5 trillion baht in total tourism earnings, matching the pre-pandemic 2019 figures, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, Thailand is ramping up efforts to attract more Chinese tourists by increasing charter flights from secondary Chinese cities and launching a major domestic travel subsidy in June.
Chuwit Sirivejkul, regional marketing director for East Asia at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), reported that Thailand welcomed an average of 22,000 to 24,000 Chinese tourists daily in January, peaking at nearly 30,000 on January 28 during the Chinese New Year period.
However, concerns over human trafficking have led to more than 10,000 cancellations, primarily from Chinese tour groups from second-tier cities. Independent travellers, however, remain unaffected.
To revive the tour group market, the TAT is collaborating with operators to boost arrivals through charter flights. Despite setbacks, Chinese tourist arrivals from January 24 to February 2 are expected to reach 287,000, generating 8.8 billion baht—a 7% and 9% year-on-year increase, respectively.
Visitors from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam have also contributed to Thailand’s tourism boom.
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