Thailand remains popular among Chinese tourists

BANGKOK, July 26 (TNA) - All offices in China of the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have reported that a number of Chinese tourists are interested in visiting Thailand. Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkura told journalists on July 26 that she had ordered all TAT offices opened in China to check an updated trend of Chinese tourists and all the TAT offices had reported the same positive prospect. Kobkarn noted that a total of 5.5 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand during the first half of this year, a 20 per cent year-on-year increase, earning the Thai Kingdom about 244.90 billion baht tourism-related revenues, a 31 per cent year-on-year increase. Kobkarn acknowledged that China remains one of Thailand's major tourism markets, suggesting that campaigns be launched to woo Chinese travelers to visit tourist destinations in other Thai provinces, along with major cities, in order to widely promote the domestic tourism, which would also help distribute income to more areas and communities in the country. In response to reports that the number of Chinese arrivals in Thailand could drop following a strict control on Chinese motorists driving into the Thai North through a checkpoint in Chiang Rai Province, the minister stressed that her ministry has cooperated with the Ministry of Transport to provide conveniences and safety to international tourists. According to the minister, Thailand's tourism policy focuses on both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha pointed out that the ongoing low season could attribute to a drop in the Chinese arrivals in the Thai North, along with external risk factors, as all countries are worried over public safety and political stability. "Chinese tourists have their rights to travel to any country they wish. But a key factor is that Thai people must be good hosts to all international visitors, while the Thai government is responsible for taking good care of all visitors equally", said the prime minister. The prime minister insisted that the Thai government's tourism campaigns, if launched, would attract global tourists generally, including those from China. (TNA)