According to a report by the Thai“Nation” and“Bangkok Post” on January 21, Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Solawong revealed on the same day that Thai Prime Minister Patton Tan will visit China in early February, there will be talks with Chinese leaders and government chiefs, as well as the opening ceremony of the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Thailand. Petuntan’s trip aims to strengthen bilateral ties and rebuild the confidence of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand.
Thailand’s prime minister, Muhammed Patten, in a file photo. Source: Visual China
On January 22, Petuntan delivered information to Chinese tourists through artificial intelligence technology in local Chinese media, aiming to improve Chinese tourists’ understanding and trust in Thailand’s safe environment. In the video, Ms. Petuntan said that as prime minister, she could assure all tourists that the Thai government put the safety of all tourists first. She has asked relevant departments to strengthen cooperation, jointly raise safety standards and combat transnational crime in the most effective way; strengthen strict law enforcement and crack down on illegal entry and exit, to provide systematic and comprehensive assistance and support for tourists to Thailand to prevent accidents. She reiterated that as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Thailand and China, Thailand is ready to welcome all Chinese tourists to Thailand during the upcoming Lunar New Year with open arms.
The Thai China National Tourism Administration is making every effort to restore the confidence of Chinese tourists in the country, tourism and Sports Minister Solawong said in a statement Wednesday. At present, the positive information released by Thailand through the media has not been effectively conveyed to Chinese tourists, due to differences in the platforms used by the two sides. To this end, Thailand has communicated with the Chinese embassy in Thailand to improve the current situation.
When it comes to the current number of Chinese tourists arriving in Thailand, Solawong said that the overall number of Chinese tourists has remained stable. According to the data, 22,000 Chinese tourists entered Thailand on January 20, and about 17,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Thailand every day recently. He also said that the number of new bookings by Chinese tourists has decreased, mainly affecting first-time groups entering Thailand and tourists from third-and fourth-tier cities in China, who have certain concerns about the safety environment in Thailand, the government will address this problem through both short-term and long-term measures.
Solawong said he and his Chinese counterpart had met at the ASEAN Tourism Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Malaysia and had communicated on relevant issues and were confident of restoring trust in the tourism market and getting tourist numbers back to normal. In response to the issue that the visa-free entry policy for Chinese and Thai citizens may face adjustment in the near future, Solawong said that this is a complex issue, but the visa-free policy will not vary according to the region of origin of tourists.
In addition, Thai deputy prime minister and Defense Minister Putan 21, at a cabinet meeting instructed the relevant departments to strengthen the management of border areas, crack down on transnational crime. He said the measures would help rebuild Chinese tourists’ confidence in Thailand and further consolidate the country’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.