Chinese tourists drop by 75,093 following shooting in Bangkok
The Economic Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand last week fell by 75,093 compared to the previous week.
The ministry said Thailand received 497,966 foreign tourists last week. This was 54,453 or 9.86% less than the previous week. The number of foreign tourists in the country decreased, especially Chinese tourists. This is probably because of the Golden Week Chinese holiday from October 1 to October 7.
The top five foreign tourist destinations in Thailand last week were Malaysia (down 20.43%), China (down 29.47%), India (down 8.22%), South Korea (down 26.77%) and Laos (down 1.16%).
The ministry predicted that a lot of Golden Week Chinese tourists left Thailand early to avoid the airport crowds, thus reducing the number of Chinese nationals in the country.
The ministry also admitted that the tragic shooting at the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok also played an important role in the decline of tourists. A Chinese woman lost her life in the incident, which also spread a feeling of insecurity among tourists from China.
The ministry recognises that the coming weeks may see a trend of decreasing foreign tourists coming to Thailand. This is attributed not only to the mall shooting but also to global security concerns stemming from the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Palestine.
The ministry’s predictions for the week ahead, October 9 to 15, indicate an estimated 480,000 foreign tourists will come to Thailand. The leading countries of origin for these visitors are expected to remain: Malaysia, China, India, South Korea, and Laos.
The ministry also anticipates that the Thai tourism industry will continue to face challenges due to factors such as rising fuel prices, inflation, and the broader global economic slowdown following the recent conflict.
Officials still believe that the visa-free measure for tourists from China and Kazakstan would help Thailand achieve the target of 28 million foreign tourists at the end of this year.
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