5.5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand in 2025
Sittiwat Chiwarattanaporn, chairman of the advisory board of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), stated that the outlook for the Chinese tourist market has worsened, primarily due to negative factors including the economic impact of the United States’ customs tariff policies and China’s domestic tourism promotion strategies.
He noted that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand per day has rarely fallen below 15,000. Although Thailand may still attract a minimum of 10,000 to 15,000 Chinese tourists per day during the remainder of the year, the overall total for 2025 is now expected to reach only between 4.2 and 5.5 million—significantly below the 6.7 million Chinese arrivals recorded in 2024.
“It is expected that the Chinese economy will face additional challenges from US import tariffs,” he said, “In response, the Chinese government has accelerated efforts to promote domestic tourism by investing in infrastructure and developing new tourist attractions across the country, alongside implementing visa-free transit policies for travellers passing through China.”
Urgent action needed to restore Thailand’s safety image
Santisuk Klongchaiya, CEO of Asia Aviation and Thai AirAsia, highlighted that one of the key challenges in the Chinese tourist market is the lingering lack of confidence in Thailand’s safety, which has persisted since the beginning of the year.
He urged the government to act swiftly to restore confidence.
“We are placing our hopes in the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and calling on the government to urgently improve Thailand’s image in the eyes of Chinese travellers, while allocating a greater budget to promote Chinese tourism to Thailand,” he said.
“At a time when many countries are fiercely competing for Chinese tourists to boost their own economies, we must step up our efforts.”
As for practical solutions to this issue, Santisuk emphasised the importance of addressing Thailand’s safety image through various means. These include using local media in China, increasing promotional budgets for TAT’s five offices across China, and launching campaigns with Chinese online travel agencies.
He added that airlines are ready to collaborate with the TAT through “quick-win” initiatives, such as inviting Chinese influencers to visit Thailand and share their experiences.
“This is a challenge we must tackle together,” he said, “Thailand’s image is something we can improve—unlike the broader structural issues behind China’s economic slowdown, which are beyond our control.”
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