Following the case of a Chinese actor going missing in Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is monitoring the impact on the Chinese market for the upcoming Chinese New Year, while private operators urged the government to ensure tourist safety and intensify measures against foreign organised crime here.
Chinese actor Wang Xing went missing last Friday in Mae Sot district of Tak near the border with Myanmar, reportedly after being invited to take part in an audition in Thailand. He was found unharmed on Tuesday and returned from Myanmar to Thailand. Police say they believe he was a victim of human trafficking.
Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, TAT deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific, said the agency is monitoring the incident and whether it would affect travel sentiment, especially during the Lunar New Year period from Jan 28 to Feb 4.
She said the agency assigned its five offices in China to follow news and discussions taking place on Chinese social media platforms. The agency also coordinated with tourist police to ensure safe travel in Thailand.
Ms Pattaraanong said any negative impact from the incident would only be short term, unlike the ongoing sluggish economy in China which would continue to affect spending on travel among Chinese visitors.
Thailand still expects around 20,000 to 30,000 daily arrivals from China during Lunar New Year.
The TAT is promoting Thailand as a preferred destination to celebrate the holiday with numerous events taking place in Bangkok and tourism provinces, banking on the two countries' 50-year-long diplomatic relationship, as well as promotional packages via online travel agents.
The TAT is targeting at least 8 million Chinese tourists this year, and a total of 39-40 million foreign arrivals, after welcoming 6.73 million Chinese tourists in 2024.
Surawat Akaraworamat, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said it is too early to estimate the impact of the incident on the Chinese New Year period.
There have been no reports of cancellations due to the incident.
He said it was fortunate that the police were able to locate the missing actor within a few days after the news was reported, but the issue now is the descriptions he made in the media about his experience during those missing days.
Mr Surawat said the police must investigate the case and find the people involved in the scheme.
If the scheme involves grey Chinese businesses, the government and police must implement decisive measures against such organised criminals, he said.
The case led to more social media references to the film No More Bets.
Depicting a story about call centre scams trafficking Chinese people to Southeast Asia, the film scared Chinese tourists away from Thailand in 2022, resulting in only 3.5 million arrivals from the country during that year.
Mr Surawat said talk of the movie disappeared last year, but has now resurfaced, making tourism operators concerned about the impact on tourism.
However, he still believes the flow of tourists during Chinese New Year should improve from last year, attributed to greater seat capacity and the visa exemption scheme.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said on Tuesday the ministry had asked the Chinese ambassador to help communicate about safety in Thailand.