Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Deputy Governor Kittipong Prapattong told the Bangkok Post he expects China’s latest safety warning to have little effect on ordinary visits, with arrivals above 4.14 million through Oct. 17. Kittipong said entertainers and other high-profile people faced greater exposure to scams, the newspaper reported.
The Chinese Embassy in Thailand issued its Oct. 16 notice after citing cases of Chinese nationals who went missing after arriving in Thailand, were illegally detained and taken toward the Thai-Myanmar border. The notice addressed Chinese travelers broadly. It warned about deceptive offers of high-paying jobs, business trips, investment partnerships and project invitations, as well as fraudulent filming or performance invitations aimed at livestreamers and entertainers. The embassy urged travelers to check offers and use legitimate transport, citing threats to their safety and property.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul’s preliminary figures, reported by The Nation Thailand, counted 4,143,403 arrivals from China between Jan. 1 and Oct. 17, the highest total among Thailand’s source markets. The Bangkok Post reported that Thailand received 4.47 million Chinese visitors in 2025, a 33.5% decline from the previous year. The newspaper linked much of that decrease to weaker traveler confidence amid scam networks using Thailand as a route to compounds in neighboring countries.
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) lowered its 2026 forecast to 5 million to 5.5 million Chinese visitors from an earlier projection of 5.5 million to 6 million after floods affected parts of Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported. Atta Honorary Secretary-General Adith Chairattananon told the paper that renewed warnings may have less influence as travelers become more familiar with the risks.
Kittipong said Chinese arrivals had grown 14% year over year through Oct. 17, according to the Bangkok Post. He also estimated that available seats on Thailand-China routes totaled about 2.1 million over the final three months of the year, with capacity to bring at least 1 million Chinese visitors. The TAT hopes its year-end festival program, including Loy Krathong and music events, will support visits from China.
