Chinese tourists vanish, Pattaya cruise sinks into crisis
Staff cuts mount as operators scramble to lure new markets and survive a shifting tourism tide
A luxury Pattaya dinner cruise once packed with Chinese tourists is now struggling to stay afloat, after a dramatic drop in visitors forced mass layoffs and desperate reinvention.
Ocean Sky Pattaya, a once-thriving restaurant cruise catering largely to Chinese travellers, has laid off 30% of its staff in a drastic move to slash costs as Chinese arrivals dry up.
Buncha Kullawanich, the cruise’s executive, revealed that the business has been battered by plummeting tourist numbers, particularly since early 2025.
“Since early 2025, we’ve seen a 30% drop in customers. The situation worsened after the kidnapping of a Chinese actor using Thailand as a transit point to Myanmar, followed by a devastating earthquake that caused a government building to collapse. These events have significantly damaged Thailand’s safety image among tourists.”
According to Buncha, even April, typically High Season, was dismal.
“It was a very low season.”
The fallout has forced Ocean Sky to consider reducing its cruise fleet to just one ship to rein in operational costs.
The impact stretches far beyond the cruise decks. Pattaya’s broader tourism scene is feeling the pinch, with businesses heavily reliant on Chinese tour groups reporting similar declines.
But the Ocean Sky team isn’t going down without a fight. Management is urgently pivoting its strategy, turning attention to new and growing markets such as Indian, Russian, and Vietnamese tourists. The cruise plans to revamp its onboard experience, tailoring entertainment and facilities to appeal to a broader international crowd.
Buncha urged the Thai government to do more to restore the kingdom’s bruised tourism image. He called for faster crisis response, better communication, and proactive safety campaigns to rebuild trust with foreign visitors, reported Pattaya Mail.
While Pattaya has long relied on waves of Chinese tourists, the current crisis has exposed the risks of overdependence on a single market.
For Ocean Sky Pattaya, survival now depends on innovation, diversification, and a government willing to help steer tourism back on course.
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