Bangkok: Following an alleged kidnapping of a Chinese actor, concerns about the safety of tourists were raised by Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday ( Jan 17 ).
Tourism is a important driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest market, and China is the biggest single industry for Thailand.
” Tourism is the region’s main source of income. I don’t want it to become affected”, Paetongtarn said. ” I have given stability companies instructions to raise the level of protection for tourists.”
To convince travellers about their safety and security, the prime minister said she would report a concept in Chinese.
Last year, more than 6.7 million Chinese citizens visited Thailand, accounting for almost one-fifth of the 35.5 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country.
After professional Wang Xing vanished on the Thai-Myanmar borders and officials said he may have been a sufferer of human trafficking by legal groups, questions about the safety of Chinese visitors were raised earlier this month.
The 22-year-old has been located and is now back in China.
The incident was well-known on Chinese social media, stoking concerns in Thailand about a decline in Chinese tourists ahead of the Chinese New Year breaks, which officially begin in late January.
Some delays have occurred, but there aren’t any declines in Chinese tourists, according to Paetongtarn.