
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Tuesday she will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during her visit to China next week, in a bid to address concerns of tourists over safety in the Southeast Asian country.
Ms Paetongtarn’s planned trip to Beijing during Feb 5-8 comes after the government reassured Chinese tourists of their safety amid reports of cancellation by some travellers spooked by a high-profile trafficking case of a Chinese actor near the Thai border with Myanmar earlier this month.
The premier said she will ask for China’s help in curbing negative rumors about safety in Thailand, and will also express concerns to Xi about the call centre scams in neighbouring countries.
China is the biggest source of tourists for Thailand, with arrivals accounting for 6.7 million out of 35.5 million travellers in 2024. Ms Paetongtarn had previously ordered law enforcement agencies to step up a crackdown against call centre gangs and ensure the safety of tourists as the industry accounts for about 12% of the country’s gross domestic product and nearly a fifth of jobs.
Across Southeast Asia, the billion-dollar cyber scam operations have been expanding, particularly in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Often run by Chinese fugitives who fled their home nation in 2020 following a domestic crackdown, they have taken cover in areas of Myanmar where the military regime is losing control over territories to rebels.