Produced by | Huabo Business Review

After being rescued, Wang Xing told reporters, "Thailand is safe, I will come back again." While his words were intended to assure the public of Thailand's handling capabilities and safety, they inadvertently raised doubts among Chinese tourists regarding the country's tourism safety. On January 9, the Bangkok Post reported that the Association of Thai Travel Agents predicted a 10% to 20% decrease in Chinese tourists visiting Thailand during the Lunar New Year due to these safety concerns.

Is Thailand's Tourism Industry at Risk?

On January 7, the day of his rescue, actor Wang Xing was interviewed by the media alongside Thai police. In the video, Wang Xing first expressed gratitude to the Thai authorities in English, emphasizing that Thailand was 'safe' and hinting at a future return. However, when asked why he chose Thailand, he hesitated and sought guidance from the Thai police officers beside him. Under their prompting, Wang Xing ultimately refrained from answering. Subsequently, the Thai police asked him to reiterate his gratitude to the Thai government in Chinese and reaffirm his intention to return, which he complied with. This video went viral on social media, and the Thai police's urgent efforts to restore Thailand's tourism safety image sparked concerns and doubts among many Chinese netizens, further deterring them from traveling to Thailand. According to The Paper, around 30% of travel agency bookings for Thailand products were canceled. ForwardKeys data revealed a 155% year-on-year surge in flight cancellations from China to Thailand in the past week. Moreover, Sanit, President of the Chonburi Tourism Association, disclosed that 30% to 40% of Chinese tour groups had canceled their hotel reservations in the area.

The discourse around Thailand's tourism safety has continued to escalate on social media, with over 690,000 posts related to 'canceling Thai flight and hotel services'. Many netizens shared screenshots of their ticket refunds, expressing deep concerns about travel safety in Thailand and complaining about incomplete refunds during the process. Additionally, numerous guides emerged, offering instructions on how to obtain full refunds for flights and hotels. Not only tourists but also celebrities canceled their tour plans to Thailand. On January 10, singer Eason Chan announced the cancellation of his Bangkok concert, citing concerns about the safety of Chinese citizens and fans traveling to Thailand. On January 11, Zhao Benshan also announced the cancellation of his Bangkok world tour, offering full refunds due to 'force majeure and safety concerns'.

Will Chinese Tourists Accept Thailand's Upgraded Tourism Safety Measures?

To restore the confidence of Chinese tourists, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) issued a statement on Weibo on January 11 titled 'Further Strengthening the Confidence of Chinese Tourists in Traveling to Thailand' and used the hashtag 'China and Thailand are one family'. In the statement, TAT Governor Tapee clearly stated that the Thai government prioritizes tourist safety and promises to create a memorable and high-quality tourism experience for Chinese tourists. However, the statement failed to immediately dispel the doubts of Chinese netizens and even sparked dissatisfaction. Netizens voiced negative opinions and expressed concerns about tourism safety in Thailand in the comments section.

Furthermore, the official Weibo account of the TAT appeared to engage in a heated exchange with Chinese netizens, resulting in the account becoming unsearchable. Only its regional office Weibo accounts are accessible, and the 'comment selection' function has been enabled in the comments section. The Royal Thai Police also acted swiftly. According to a Thai headline news website on January 12, Pol Lt Gen Pakorn, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police and Director of the Tourism Safety Operation Center, stated that they would fully integrate resources from local police and tourist police stations to establish a systematic tourist safety management system. Additionally, Pol Maj Gen Sahira, Commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, revealed that the bureau has collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the TAT to develop a series of comprehensive safety measures.

The Royal Thai Police also announced that as early as December 12, 2024, they had launched a mobile application called 'Thailand Tourist Police'. This app enables tourists to easily send messages, photos, and location information to quickly obtain required information, report crimes, or seek help. The app is closely connected to the 1155 Emergency Call Center and provides translation services in eight languages, including Chinese, ensuring 24/7 readiness and close collaboration with the 191 Emergency Call Center to handle emergencies, thereby establishing an efficient communication bridge between tourists and police. Nevertheless, despite Thailand's series of measures to strengthen tourism safety, regaining the trust of Chinese tourists will take time. With 2025 marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, Thailand has set a goal of increasing Chinese tourist arrivals to 9 million. Let's hope the Wang Xing incident was an isolated case.