Fear-mongering, fake news and disinformation being stoked in China against visiting Thailand

[webfact]

A negative and ignorant campaign has gone viral on Chinese social media sites this week warning off people holidaying or travelling to Thailand by raising fears of kidnapping, extortion and even outlandish claims raising proven fake news reports about organ harvesting at the hands of criminal gangs. Counter efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Bangkok led to the Director-general of the Department of Tourism Mr Chaturon Phakdeewanich (right) reaching out to Chinese officials and a statement being issued by the Thai Embassy in Beijing on the blogging site Weibo.

 

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

Thai officials through the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing were forced this week to issue a reassurance to potential Chinese visitors to the country regarding their safety and security following a damaging viral campaign which reached millions of online readers behind China’s Great Firewall in which spurious, fearful and outlandish claims were made aimed at putting netizens off visiting the kingdom as tourists.

Thai officials in Bangkok and Beijing were scrambling on Thursday and Friday to contain a highly damaging viral campaign on Chinese social media actively discouraging people from visiting the kingdom. The sensational and outright false claims targeted potential Chinese holidaymakers.

 

They were warned of scams and being extorted by criminal gangs preying on unsuspecting visitors with the widely debunked conspiracy theories of tourists being captured and subjected to organ harvesting being raised to scare off potential travellers to the kingdom which has emerged as China’s favourite holiday destination now that the pandemic has finally ended there.

 

A series of viral videos and communications on Chinese social media networks painting a negative picture of Thailand as a dangerous place for Chinese tourists has caused alarm within the Ministry of Tourism and Sports with key officials making contact with their Chinese counterparts to counteract the developing situation behind China’s great firewall.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/03/24/fake-news-stoked-in-china-against-travel-to-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2023-03-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[stoner]

the lengths these people go to try and cover things and save face is astounding. something i will truly never understand. 

 

there is no scams in thailand eh ? my goodness.

[norfolkandchance]

They should have paid the Bungee jumper off.

[webfact]

Thailand is safe for Chinese travellers, embassy says amid online trafficking claims
 

Embassy offers assurance to ‘clarify misconceptions’ about the country being a travel risk

Comments follow Chinese vlogger’s warning about the sudden popularity online of videos of restaurants with attractive male waiters.

 

by Cyril Ip

 

Thailand has sought to assure Chinese travellers that it is safe to visit. Photo: Xinhua

Thailand has sought to reassure Chinese travellers that the country is a safe holiday destination following widely circulated claims online about the risk of human trafficking.

“Thailand attaches great importance to the quality of Chinese tourists’ travels, their safety and good impression of Thailand,” the Thai embassy in Beijing said on Thursday, adding that relevant departments would “take corresponding measures to fully maintain and guarantee the safety of tourists”.

“The [embassy] fully understands tourists’ concerns about safety. Thailand has always been popular with tourists from all over the world.

“Since [China] has allowed Chinese tourists to travel abroad, Thailand has made comprehensive preparations to welcome [them] and has added many communication channels for [them], providing convenience and security to tourists to obtain information and report emergencies to the tourism police.”

 

Full story: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3214736/thailand-safe-chinese-travellers-embassy-says-amid-online-trafficking-claims

 

-- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2023-03-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[AhFarangJa]

The warnings are being aimed at the wrong demographics. 

They should be warning tourists of other countries that there are likely to be hordes of Chinese tourists in Thailand.

 

[brianthainess]

Obviously fake news, criminal gangs, extorsion, scams, next they'll be saying mafias exist in Thailand and taxis don't use meters, the RTP are 'Protecting' us all init. 

[mikebell]

Safety on the roads; non-carcinogenic air; incorruptible policemen; and all the prawns you can eat.

[spidermike007]

Well, the organ harvesting is a domestic activity in China. Blame the heinous CCP. Don't think it happens much in Thailand, so that is just outlandish projection. 

 

Crime? Relatively minimal. Outside of Pattaya tourist zones, anyway. 

 

Many other complaints may be valid and justified. Thailand needs to calm down. Thin skin is not a healthy thing to have, nor is it appealing for adults. And real adults don't deflect so much. They address problems and move on. It is referred to as improvement. 

[ezzra]

They forgot to mention that half of those criminals are Chinese and many of

crime activities are run by Chinese nationals. 

[HuskerDo2]

"Fear-mongering, fake news and disinformation"...... Where ISN'T this happening these days? Crazy world.  

[phetphet]

OK. If we can't run zero dollar, Watch what happens.

[huangnon]

"Organ harvesting in Thailand"? Cheeky bar-stewards..

This is from China, the world's organ-harvesting center, where "criminals" are executed to order, and minorities incarcerated specifically to harvest their organs for sale.

Quote

GENEVA (14 June 2021) – UN human rights experts* said today they were extremely alarmed by reports of alleged ‘organ harvesting’ targeting minorities, including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, Tibetans, Muslims and Christians, in detention in China.

The experts said they have received credible information that detainees from ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities may be forcibly subjected to blood tests and organ examinations such as ultrasound and x-rays, without their informed consent; while other prisoners are not required to undergo such examinations. The results of the examinations are reportedly registered in a database of living organ sources that facilitates organ allocation.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/06/china-un-human-rights-experts-alarmed-organ-harvesting-allegations

[sammieuk1]

Oh dear you will have to take this one on the chin and don't ever mention Taiwan's independence or even its existence I did but I think I got away with it ????   

[John Drake]

Chinese warn Chinese that there are Chinese triads in Thailand.

[proton]

Lets hope it works, the less Chinese the better

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They were warned of scams and being extorted by criminal gangs preying on unsuspecting visitors with the widely debunked conspiracy theories of tourists being captured and subjected to organ harvesting being raised to scare off potential travellers to the kingdom which has emerged as China’s favourite holiday destination now that the pandemic has finally ended there.

More like Crypto currency account harvesting by there own compatriots, and then the Chinese grey market visa issues and crackdowns, no fakery there....

[Will B Good]

Fear-mongering, fake news and disinformation being stoked in China against visiting Thailand.......orchestrated by UK expats living in Phuket and Pattaya......? 

[Dogsredrocket]

Chinese claiming organ harvesting in Thailand. Rich, very rich.

[DavisH]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Obviously fake news, criminal gangs, extorsion, scams, next they'll be saying mafias exist in Thailand and taxis don't use meters, the RTP are 'Protecting' us all init. 

Gotta be painful for you to live here eh? I've never been scammed in 22 years here. One just need to be paying attention. 

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, proton said:

Lets hope it works, the less Chinese the better

There were a lot on the beaches of Koh Lan 2 weeks ago. Along with numerous Russians. I don't think any "fear mongering" is going to put off anyone. Organ harvesting? I hear the same happens in China...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Extortion and kidnapping of foreigners in Thailand... Hmmm.. maybe the Chinese have actually been reading the local news lately:

 

 

 

https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7bjka/chinese-nationals-kidnapped-thailand

 

A 62-year-old Chinese man and his Thai interpreter were abducted only meters away from his Bangkok residence earlier this month, then held for hours while their kidnappers demanded cryptocurrency payments.

...

The scandal comes amid reports of Thai immigration officers partaking in fraud and the kidnappings of at least three other Chinese nationals in the country over the past week."

 

Sometimes it's Thai police/immigration. But sometimes, as the above report recounts, it's criminal Chinese abducting and extorting their fellow countrymen here...

 

 

[IamNoone88]

Certainly, Chinese gangs seem very active in Thailand. No denying that. As they are in Cambodia as well.

[ThaiFelix]

3 hours ago, huangnon said:

"Organ harvesting in Thailand"? Cheeky bar-stewards..

This is from China, the world's organ-harvesting center, where "criminals" are executed to order, and minorities incarcerated specifically to harvest their organs for sale.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/06/china-un-human-rights-experts-alarmed-organ-harvesting-allegations

So the article mentions nothing about actual organ harvesting, only "....blood tests and organ examinations such as xray....."

[Mad mick]

Good !! hassele free ' no pushing &  shoving trying to be infront frightened they're going miss out on freebie or 2 &  CCP doing there usual bully shi_e Won't hurt Thai economy they CCP Chinese can only travel or mainly travel buy package tours stay CCP Owned hotels , eat CCP owned buffets restaurants , hardly matters to Thai economy as far as domestic vendors will be concerned 

[Tarteso]

The organ that the Thais have extracted was my gallbladder. Just saying..????

[onthedarkside]

Post to an unknown link with no description removed

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Certainly, Chinese gangs seem very active in Thailand. No denying that. As they are in Cambodia as well.

And recall just who was accepting payoffs/bribes on a wide scale to issue visas to them so they could stay in Thailand long-term and operate their criminal ventures here....

 

[Mark mark]

Seems like the Competing tourist Business interests, ( For their Money ) are just being corrupt with false Information again. ? .... I do not like China much, but I like the Corrupt <Deleted> business people less.

 

... Yes, Just like the "Don't shop Duty Free in Bangkok"  "( You will be falsely Framed by the shops, and Police ? )" campaign a few Years ago now, which I think was Pretty obviously other Duty Free shops on other parts of the would there ( Like possibly <Deleted> Starting with S and ending in e ??? ) ...

 

And the CC TV proved conclusively that the British Pensioners WERE clearly Stealing, and they apparently had a Games room full of stuff they had pilfered on their previous Holidays ! ? ... So they actually were NOT framed !!! ... They were actually guilty !!! And well the Thai discussion was only that the Cops were letting them of, ... with a Bribe right !!!  ... Like That was what the Thai's were complaining about in that one !!! The taking  of a bribe (From Small time armature Thieves, and well there is always plenty of People like that apparently. ?)

[Mark mark]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And recall just who was accepting payoffs/bribes on a wide scale to issue visas to them so they could stay in Thailand long-term and operate their criminal ventures here....

 

Yes there were some cases of Rich Business men kidnaped, here in Thailand, and just totally robed, in their Taxi from the Old Airport, some time ago, and well they ALL Asian / Chinese ? And no Foland at that time ? Just from my memory. ...

 

And well Cambodia always has been a Big Kidnap danger spot I think ? ... Though it possibly is being cleaned up, but after the civil war it WAS pretty well out of control. ... Like I talked to richer locals - Yes Ethnic Chinese though 100% Cambodian citizens, ... who always used to drive, watching their revision Mirrors WELL, !!!  And well a story of an exercised attempt, a threat against their children if they did not pay, .... But the Cops were called, and the Cash was never picked up ! ? .... (These Ethnic Chinese Cambodians did have reasonably police Connections just then I think ?) Foreign Chinese probably STILL would not. ...

 

So now we know why they all go on Total Package Tours !!! For personal Safety ???

[bigupandchill]

If I was in charge of China I would not want my citizens going to Thailand in case they got to like the herb too much. ????