Thai PM reassures Chinese tourists on security ahead of Chinese New Year

BANGKOK - Thailand is stepping up security for tourists to restore the confidence of Chinese visitors, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Jan 17 after

an alleged kidnapping of a Chinese actor

sparked concerns about the safety of travellers.

Tourism is a key driver of South-east Asia’s second-largest economy, and China is the biggest single market for Thailand.

“Tourism is the country’s main source of income. I don’t want it to be affected,” Ms Paetongtarn said. “I have instructed security agencies to raise the level of security for tourists.”

She said she would record a message in Chinese to reassure tourists of their safety and security.

In 2024, more than 6.7 million Chinese people visited Thailand, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the 35.5 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country.

Questions about the safety of Chinese tourists

were triggered earlier in January after actor Wang Xing went missing on the Thai-Myanmar border, and the authorities said he may have been a victim of human trafficking by criminal groups.

The 22-year-old has since been found and returned to China.

The case was widely shared on Chinese social media, sparking fears in Thailand of a drop-off in Chinese visitors ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays that start in late January.

There have been some cancellations, but the number of tourists from China has not dropped, Ms Paetongtarn said. REUTERS