Growing number of Chinese tourists head to Thailand

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It’s been a turbulent decade for Thailand with floods, bombings, coups, street protests and political upheaval all hitting the headlines.

But despite this, the number of tourists heading to the “Land of Smiles” continues to rise.

Tourism accounts for around 12% of Thailand’s GDP and is a bright spot in southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

Big Spenders: The average Chinese tourist stays in Thailand for 7 days, spending around $190 per day. During the Golden Week period, Chinese travelers are expected to generate more that $300 million for the Thai economy. /CGTN Photo

Thailand is also a popular choice for Chinese tourists and the country has just been named the World’s Most Chinese Tourist-friendly Nation, according to a Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) report.

For Thailand, the title is one that is sure to add a few more smiles since its tourism industry is largely driven by the Chinese market.

Erawan Shrine. In 2015, a bombing took place here, killing 20 people. This shrine is popular among Chinese Tourists. /CGTN Photo

As a destination, Thailand has enormous appeal. It offers significant scenic and cultural diversity, a high-quality low-cost tourism infrastructure and a people largely welcoming to tourists.

The thought of lounging on a long sandy beach, enjoying the excitement of Bangkok, or exploring the rugged mountains and hill-tribe culture in the north can be difficult to resist.

Up to 25 million Chinese tourists could visit Thailand by 2025. /CGTN Graphic

Popular destinations for Chinese tourists are Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

In the past five years, the number of Chinese tourists going to Thailand has risen drastically from 2.7 million to 8.7 million.

For 2017, Thailand’s Tourism Authority has increased their target to 10 million Chinese visitors.

If this rate of growth continues, by 2020 Thailand could see up to 25 million Chinese tourists.

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