
The government is trying to contain damage to tourism, starting with a message in Chinese from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to ensure the safety of tourists from China planning to visit Thailand.
Ms Paetongtarn said on Friday she will record a video and use artificial intelligence (AI) to translate her message into Chinese, directly addressing potential tourist. The key point is to assure them of their safety and the availability of standard facilities upon arrival in the kingdom.
"If they come to Thailand, they definitely will have fun," said the prime minister.
This decision follows a crucial meeting at Government House on Friday aimed at addressing tourism concerns after numerous cancellations by Chinese holidaymakers during the Chinese New Year, which will be celebrated on Jan 29, due to safety worries.
The prime minister dismissed these safety concerns as a "rumour" and suggested that they stemmed from information operations (IOs) intended to create a negative image of tourism in Thailand. However, she did not specify who might be behind it.
"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."
Recent incidents, including the case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went missing after entering Thailand on Jan 3 and was later rescued from Myanmar, have raised safety concerns. Another Chinese model has been missing for over two weeks, prompting his father to seek assistance from Thai police.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong reported that the negative images had not affected the number of foreign tourists. Most cancellations were from first-time visitors, he added.
Top security authorities from Hong Kong held talks with their Thai counterparts on Monday to secure their citizens trapped in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday also urged Asean states to come up with strong measures to crack down on online gambling and phone scams that harmed Chinese citizens.
Asean — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — comprises 10 members, including Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Tourism is a key driver of Thailand, and China is the biggest single market for the country.
Last year, 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.