Thailand to expect 1 million tourists from China and Hong Kong during CNY

Alipay+ reported a prediction from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) that nearly 1 million foreign tourists, primarily from China and Hong Kong, are poised to flood into Thailand during the upcoming Chinese New Year, unleashing a potential economic windfall of 28.4 billion baht.

Trip.com shared the staggering numbers, highlighting the skyrocketing outbound travel bookings from China leading up to the festivities, revealing a tenfold surge compared to the previous year.

The lunar Chinese New Year, slated for next Saturday, February 10, is expected to draw throngs of travellers to various countries, particularly those offering hassle-free entry for Chinese tourists, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and the much-favoured Thailand, as reported on The Straistimes.

Alipay+ President Douglas L Feagin expressed immense excitement for the upcoming year, foreseeing a deluge of digital innovations in both online and offline cross-border commerce. Chinese New Year, being a global travel phenomenon, is deemed the opportune moment for Alipay+ to unveil a slew of partnerships, campaigns, and products that promise to elevate the travel experience and, in turn, generate substantial business for merchants, both large and small.

Operating in a staggering 57 markets, Alipay+ seamlessly connects over 88 million global merchants across borders to a whopping 1.5 billion accounts on over 25 leading e-wallets and payment apps. The platform facilitates international travellers to make secure online and offline payments with their home payment apps across the globe.

The vast array of Alipay+ partner wallets and banking apps includes Alipay (China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong), GCash (Philippines), TrueMoney (Thailand), Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia), and OCBC Digital (Singapore) as of January, reported The Nation.

In Thailand, Alipay+ boasts a robust network of over 100,000 partner stores, featuring renowned international brands such as King Power and Jim Thompson. Moreover, major shopping havens like Central, Robinson, Siam Paragon, and EmQuartier have embraced the platform.

The recent expansion to ubiquitous spots like 7-Eleven stores, McDonald’s, and Big C supermarket outlets further enhances the convenience for tourists navigating Thailand.

Feagin underlined the pivotal role of international travel in fostering prosperity at both the national and regional levels in Asia and beyond. He affirmed the commitment of Alipay+ to continuously expand partnerships and digitalisation tools, with a vision to bolster communities through cross-border travel and commerce.