Chinese online travel giant reveals 90% surge in searches about Thailand

[webfact]

 

Following the announcement of pre-travel visa exemptions for Chinese and Thai tourists starting March 1st, searches using Thailand-related keywords surged by 90% within an hour.

 

Senior Director of Trip.com for Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, Jessadaphan Chantakhan, says that searches for flights from Shanghai and Beijing to Bangkok jumped by more than 40%, while China-related searches on Trip.com’s Thai platform soared by over 80%.

 

The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said the bilateral visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China will help to revitalise the tourism industry, adding that airfares are likely to reduce because this policy will encourage an increase in flights between the two countries.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-05

 

- 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.

 

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[BenStark]

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

searches for flights from Shanghai and Beijing to Bangkok jumped by more than 40%, while China-related searches on Trip.com’s Thai platform soared by over 80%.

 

That are the searches. How about the actual bookings?

[Mavideol]

2 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

That are the searches. How about the actual bookings?

in a good day  1% maybe, Chinese don't have extra cash to spare for travel, they barely have enough to go by daily

[Bobthegimp]

Maybe they're reading about the trigger happy rich kid who is about to get away with murdering a Chinese citizen in a shopping mall.  Maybe they're considering a different destination where their citizens are treated with more respect. 

[WhatMeWorry]

I think the Chinese are searching more about the corruption in Thailand and whether Thailand is safe for travel.

[it is what it is]

 

means nothing until they make a booking, as even the most illiterate digital marketeer surely knows...

[freeworld]

So someone just needs to make the price of flights nore economical from China, the Chinese can start to save a little bit of money for their adventure and they can travel to and have a holiday in paradise.

[Lingba]

searches?   really?

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Senior Director of Trip.com for Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, Jessadaphan Chantakhan, says that searches for flights from Shanghai and Beijing to Bangkok jumped by more than 40%, while China-related searches on Trip.com’s Thai platform soared by over 80%.

Searches mean nothing... confirmed bookings are reality.

[Guderian]

So 19 people searched for Thailand instead of the usual 10? lol

[Blumpie]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:58 PM, BenStark said:

 

That are the searches. How about the actual bookings?

Everybody looks this time of year.  IT's winter, it's cold, where do I want to go?  Here, there, what are airfares, prices, accommodation prices, etc.  

Entirely normal and are they booking?  Of course hardly any.  

Any bit of good news to keep the kids in Thailand happy even if it's not reality.

[daveAustin]

Most people stating the obvious here like they’re the first to think of it. 🙄

Of course they’re just searches, but if you’re interested in the relative harmony of the place and availability of accommodation/transport, this should still make one slightly nervous. Eventually they’ll pile back in en-masse. 

[DudleySquat]

Since the Commies control everything in China, why should anyone believe the search percentages are actual? 

[jacko45k]

On 1/5/2024 at 12:58 PM, BenStark said:

 

That are the searches. How about the actual bookings?

Give it time.... the Visa Exempt (both ways) starts in March does it not. 

[Ben Zioner]

On 1/5/2024 at 12:58 PM, BenStark said:

That are the searches. How about the actual bookings?

Let's hope that these searches reveal that Thailand isn't, will never be, their dream destination. from now on I'll go to neighbouring countries anyhow.

[fondue zoo]

organic searches 

 

will I survive?

how to escape captivity?

prawns, how many is too many?

public pooping and the law?

how long can you tread water?

[ChipButty]

Airbnb sent out an email last month saying a similar thing, they are only searches, 

[Blumpie]

20 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Most people stating the obvious here like they’re the first to think of it. 🙄

Of course they’re just searches, but if you’re interested in the relative harmony of the place and availability of accommodation/transport, this should still make one slightly nervous. Eventually they’ll pile back in en-masse. 

Thats the entire nature of platorms at large. 

I've written since the pandemic that Chinese would not be coming back to Thailand much to everyone's surprise while they were screaming about the sky falling, saying that it would get inundated again.  

They will come back in the next few years, but you need to be patient for it and expect that big brother will be putting a valve on the open faucet and restricting flow in one way or another.  

That is if China's economy starts to fire again.  It is not now, and financially Chinese have some serious problems.  They aren't getting rich on chinese stocks- the government continuously kicks companies in the balls who do well.