Chinese travellers postpone Thailand trips as safety concerns hit Phuket operators
Chinese visitor numbers are trailing projected autumn levels, while operators in Phuket report postponed travel plans amid social media-fuelled safety concerns.
Chinese travellers are postponing trips to Thailand amid safety concerns circulated on social media, with independent operators in Phuket reporting delayed travel commitments, according to a report by Chiang Rai Times.
The report cited recent arrival statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand as showing Chinese visitor numbers significantly below projected autumn benchmarks. It said October reservations from mainland China fell after viral alerts about floods, illicit border syndicates and online employment scams.
Online forums in mainland China also carried unverified kidnapping warnings and reports about illegal call-centre operations near Thailand’s northwestern border, the report said. Seasonal flooding in northern heritage destinations disrupted roads and led some travellers to cancel regional flights or redirect spending to domestic destinations and nearby East Asian resorts.
Thai authorities have responded with multilingual tourist police at airports, railway stations and ferry piers, along with emergency communication systems and diplomatic video messages promoting verified transport services, according to the report. It said joint task forces were also targeting cross-border criminal networks.
Arrivals from India, Europe and Russia helped offset some hotel occupancy losses, but retailers, small vendors and tourism businesses continued to miss spending from Chinese tour groups. Operators in Phuket and Pattaya told the report that Chinese holidaymakers were waiting for local conditions to visibly improve before committing to travel.
