Bangkok remained in the top five destinations searched by Chinese travellers on Hotels.com during the first five months of 2014, according to the website's latest survey.
Hong Kong was the top destination searched on the booking service's Chinese website, followed by five Asian destinations (including No.5 Bangkok) and a further seven elsewhere in the world.
Most were capital cities and three were holiday hotspots: Phuket (11th), Chiang Mai (16th) and Boracay in the Philippines (20th).
Surveying more than 3,000 Chinese international travellers and 3,000 hoteliers worldwide, the report provides insight into the changing behaviour of Chinese travellers.
Abhiram Chowdhry, vice-president and managing director for Asia-Pacific at Hotels.com, said many factors are playing into Chinese people's desire to explore the world.
The rising affluence of the middle class, the upward trend in repeat travellers, relaxed visa conditions and improved local infrastructure are all driving growth.
Confidence is brimming among Chinese travellers, particularly the younger generation. Two-thirds of Chinese consumers say they prefer to travel independently, up 5% from 2013, while more than 60% of hoteliers report a rise in independent travellers in the past two years.
These are the clearest signs yet of a drift from the previous preference for group travel.
The survey found that European destinations topped the wish list for the next 12 months for 75% of respondents. Some 55% of those polled named Australia and 53% mentioned Asia.
Based on the number of room nights booked on Hotels.com's Chinese website in 2013, the first four places saw no change from 2012 with the US, Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan maintaining their positions.
Mr Chowdhry raved about the "extraordinary" growth potential of the China market. Out of a population of 1.36 billion, less than 5% of Chinese have passports.
The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics reported that per capita disposable income in China grew by 10.9% to 18,311 yuan (about 94,000 baht) in 2013.
Last year, 97 million Chinese tourists travelled abroad, up from 83 million in 2012, according to data from the Tourism Administration of China, which expects the figure to surpass 100 million in 2014.
In the first three months of this year, the Chinese Tourism Academy estimated 17% growth in outbound travellers from China to 26.4 million.
Mr Chowdhry said infrastructure improvements bode well for future growth. The number of airports in China will rise to 230 in 2015 from 175 in 2010.
Online access is vital for Chinese travellers. Last year, China had 618 million internet users with 500 million getting online via mobile devices. More than 90% of internet users reportedly have a social media account.
Many international hotel chains in Thailand have introduced special products and services aimed at providing a warm reception for Chinese tourists.
Pullman Bangkok King Power recorded a 66% increase in Chinese guests from 2012 to 2013, with 85% travelling independently instead of in a tour group. The hotelier employs Mandarin-speaking staff to welcome guests and provide assistance.
Chiang Mai's DusitD2 hotel makes its website available in several languages including Mandarin to help travellers research and plan their trip.