Saturday, I was at a friends' gem/jewelry shop on Loy Kroh, near the Wat: about 5PM: walked to the Duangtawan/Centara to use the fitness center about 6PM ...

 

Very little traffic on the street, few pedestrians; the Duangtawan had a few people in the coffee shop, and I almost had the fitness center to myself.

 

Reclining after a red-hot sauna on a lounge chair by the pool, looking west, in the clear night air, at the temple lights on Doi Suthep: about 8PM I saw a single powerful firework from, maybe, the Thapae Gate area ... but no more bursts.

 

Later, the Night Bazaar seemed relatively quiet.

 

Hypotheses ????

 

1) I was not where the supposed influx of Chinese tourists were

 

2) the Chinese tourists were somewhere else in Chiang Mai, partying, celebrating, staying wherever.

 

3) there was no influx of Chinese tourists here.

 

But, a big daily (English) Thai newspaper said, today, that Chinese tourism for this lunar new year was reported by the usual infallible official sources as exceeding pre-Covid levels.

 

I conclude: the one firework I saw was a message.

Considering that there are only a handful of flights per day from the PRC and the fact that direct flights only started a few days ago there are probably no more that 3 or 4 thousand Chinese people in Chiang Mai. So spotting a Chinese visitor is rather like looking for hen's teeth. By the way how does one spot such a person?

" the Chinese Government has decided to allow group tours to visit 20 countries, including Thailand, effective from February 6th."

 

Don't worry they are coming.....

 

regards Worgeordie

The wave from the PRC has not begun..  I saw a few here and there at Central Festival today.  You can't miss them because they are usually the loudest.  It also feels like there are lot of Koreans in many parts of CNX.  I have seen many at the gym, on Songtaews and at the malls.  I speak Korean so I can tell.  I do not speak Mandarin or Cantonese (nor will I ever).  

2 hours ago, brommers said:

Considering that there are only a handful of flights per day from the PRC and the fact that direct flights only started a few days ago there are probably no more that 3 or 4 thousand Chinese people in Chiang Mai. So spotting a Chinese visitor is rather like looking for hen's teeth. By the way how does one spot such a person?

You can spot the Chinese girls by the way they dress, which is different to the way the Korean girls dress.

A lot of of fireworks let off in and around  the moo baan  where I live over the eve in particular, and the first day of the the Lunar New Year resulting in multiple complaints about the noise! ???? 

I guess around 1.5 billion people around the world celebrating this event?

 

Wondering if there will be reciprocal complaints come Songkran! ????

 

7 hours ago, brommers said:

Considering that there are only a handful of flights per day from the PRC and the fact that direct flights only started a few days ago there are probably no more that 3 or 4 thousand Chinese people in Chiang Mai. So spotting a Chinese visitor is rather like looking for hen's teeth. By the way how does one spot such a person?

Assuming you are not just trolling ... implying "racism:"

 

You imply that any Chinese would arrive here only on direct flights ? I am talking about Chinese tourists, including tourists from HK, Malaysia, etc,. who are culturally Chinese. Coming in via BKK or other.

"spot:" ? : i'd look for the same kind of groups I have seen here for the Lunar New Year in other years, I'd hear Chinese spoken, particularly the distinctives cadences of Cantonese, As in other years,  I would ask at the Duangtawan, and maybe get a response.

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

" the Chinese Government has decided to allow group tours to visit 20 countries, including Thailand, effective from February 6th."

Are you suggesting the official government Chinese tourism news as published in major newspapers does not apply to this Lunar New Year ? uhhh ... okay ????

As I said, perhaps I was not in the right place in CM to see any evidence of the kind of tourism I have seen in previous Chinese Lunar New Years.

7 hours ago, brommers said:

By the way how does one spot such a person?

You hear them from 500 meters away.