Thai PM to Enlist Xi’s Help to Ease Chinese Tourists’ Concerns
(Bloomberg) -- Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said 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.
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Paetongtarn’s planned trip to Beijing during Feb. 5-8 comes after the Thai government reassured Chinese tourists of their safety amid reports of cancellation by some travelers spooked by a high-profile trafficking case of a Chinese actor near the Thai border with Myanmar earlier this month.
The Thai 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 center scams in neighboring countries.
China is the biggest source of tourists for Thailand, with arrivals accounting for 6.7 million out of 35.5 million travelers in 2024. Paetongtarn had previously ordered law enforcement agencies to step up a crackdown against call center 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.
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