Thailand launches new campaigns to revive Chinese tourism and strengthen global market position

As of the first five months of 2025 (January to May), Thailand has welcomed a total of 14,362,694 foreign tourists, a 2.7% decrease compared to the same period last year. The largest group of foreign tourists continues to come from China, with 1,958,939 visitors, followed by Malaysia (1,901,464), India (978,600), Russia (961,143), and South Korea (673,563).

Yuthasak Supasorn, former Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), highlighted that when broken down regionally, Asia accounted for nearly 63% of total foreign visitors to Thailand. However, there has been a significant decline in the number of tourists, especially from Northeast Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan), which dropped by as much as 23%. Specifically, China saw a decrease of 32.7%, Hong Kong by 23.1%, and South Korea by 16.2% compared to the same period last year.

Similarly, ASEAN countries have seen a 4.6% decline, with Vietnam down by 18.8%, Laos by 17.3%, Cambodia by 13.7%, and Malaysia by 5.5%. However, Myanmar saw a 15% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year. These neighboring countries have historically helped fill the gap during the low season, with tourists from long-haul markets like Europe and America offsetting the seasonal decline.


China’s Decline in Visitors

Yuthasak said the decline in foreign tourist numbers is primarily due to the slowdown in visitors from Asia, which accounts for more than 60% of all foreign tourists to Thailand. The decline is most notable from China, which is Thailand’s largest source of tourists. In the first five months of 2025, 1,958,939 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, down 32.7% from 2,911,370 during the same period last year.

In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, Thailand saw 11.1 million Chinese visitors out of a total of 39.8 million foreign tourists, accounting for 28% of the total foreign visitors, averaging 925,000 per month or over 30,000 per day.

However, in the first five months of 2025, a noticeable slowdown in Chinese tourist arrivals has been observed, with the daily average dropping from 21,380 in January to about 10,000 by the end of May. This has resulted in an average of 13,000 Chinese tourists arriving per day in the first five months, bringing the share of Chinese visitors to just 14% of total foreign arrivals.

“If this trend of declining Chinese tourist numbers continues, it is likely that around 4-5 million Chinese tourists will visit Thailand in 2025, which would mark the first time in 12 years that the number of Chinese tourists falls below 5 million, excluding the COVID-19 period and the post-pandemic recovery from 2023-2026,” Yuthasak stated. 
TAT Targets 5-7% Growth in Tourism Revenue for 2025

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), revealed that TAT aims to achieve a 5-7% growth in tourism revenue for the year 2025 compared to the revenue generated in 2024, which was 2.67 trillion baht. This includes 1.67 trillion baht from foreign tourists and 1 trillion baht from domestic tourism.

After the "Sawadee Nihao" campaign, held from May 28 to June 1, aimed at promoting Thailand as a safe, high-quality, and friendly destination for Chinese tourists, TAT invited 400 travel agents, 200 media representatives, and key opinion leaders (KOLs) to experience Thailand's tourism offerings firsthand and participate in business matching sessions with over 500 Thai operators. The campaign is expected to create awareness reaching 350 million people and facilitate over 5,000 business negotiations.


Expecting a Recovery in Chinese Tourism to Thailand

Thapanee mentioned that earlier this year, TAT observed a decline in Chinese tourist arrivals, attributed to incidents such as the disappearance of Chinese actors near the Thai-Myanmar border linked to call center gangs, and the decline in confidence following the earthquake in Myanmar. This led to a reduction in group tours, especially from second- and third-tier cities in China. The "Sawadee Nihao" campaign was designed to reintroduce Chinese tour operators and influencers to Thailand’s real tourism atmosphere, with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt emphasizing that Bangkok is a safe city with a low crime rate, which should boost Chinese tourists' confidence.

As a result, TAT expects the best-case scenario to see 6.9 million Chinese tourists visiting Thailand in 2025. As the Chinese market recovers, it will likely drive increased tourism from other Chinese-speaking regions as well.


Launching "Nihao Month" to Boost Chinese Tourism in Thailand

Thapanee further revealed that TAT is preparing to launch the "Nihao Month" campaign during the last four months of the year, from September to December 2025, as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese diplomatic relations. TAT will introduce a Chinese brand ambassador, though the identity will be kept secret for now, promising a highly anticipated reveal.

TAT also plans to continue its proactive measures to fully engage with the Chinese market, including accelerating the growth of charter flights, which are expected to increase by 52% in 2025. High-growth charter flight markets include Beijing (up 26%), Shanghai (up 117%), and Chengdu (up 164%).
Requesting Budget Support for Charter Flights to Attract Chinese Tourists

In response to the intense competition in the global tourism industry, TAT is also seeking government funding for "Joint Promotion" projects with the private sector. One such project, the "Thailand Summer Blast - China & Overseas Market Stimulus Plan", with a budget of 750 million baht, aims to boost the tourism economy by 33.5 billion baht, with an expected 790,000 foreign tourists visiting Thailand. This funding will support charter flights from China and other markets, directly connecting to Thailand with a budget allocation of 350 million baht.

(2025/06/07-00:00)