Thai officials aiming for 35 % increase in Chinese immigrants to 9 million this month
PUBLISHED: 21 Jan 2025 at 18:12
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will give her private claims to Chinese President Xi Jinping about safety for Chinese visitors when she visits the region second month, says Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong.
Thailand has set a goal to get 9 million Chinese tourists this year, which would be a 35 % increase from the 6. 7 million who entered the country next year.
Mr Sorawong said on Tuesday that the Tourism Authority of Thailand ( TAT ) had stepped up its efforts to build confidence among tourists. Communication about traveler safety and good information from Thailand have not yet reached all Taiwanese tourists as there are many various social media platforms that need to be covered, he said.
Mr Sorawong himself has held conversations with the Chinese embassy to help communicate with Taiwanese immigrants, saying the embassy promised to help.
The chancellor made his comment in response to the large public interest surrounding the case of Chinese professional Wang Xing, who went missing early this month near the Thai Myanmar border. The 31-year-old artist was safely returned to Thailand but authorities believed he may have been the target of human trafficking.
Mr Sorawong said the prime minister may make an official visit to China next quarter and would use the opportunity to discuss holiday security with the Chinese leader.
“ I want to emphasise that the number of Chinese visitors has no declined, but increased, ” he said.
The number of Chinese visitors up to Jan 20 this year has averaged 22,000 a moment, compared with the typical average of around 17,000, he said.
“As for the impact, room cancellations were mostly from first-time ( Chinese ) tourists in tour groups and those who were worried about their safety, ” he said. “There were no impacts among travellers who were completely separate visitors. ”
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on Tuesday asked the government to concentrate on tightening surveillance along border regions to avoid the activities of international criminal groups.
China has also reached out to Asean to introduce more organized local behavior to bite down on fraud gangs and completely their victims.
Mr Phumtham, who is also defence secretary, expressed confidence that the government would rebuild trust among Chinese visitors who may come back to Thailand again.