Chinese Tourists Ditch Thailand! - Kidnap scandal sparks mass flight cancellations.

[LivingNThailand]

12 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

Shirley

Who's Shirley?

 

[StayinThailand2much]

6 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Possibly, but does Japan have any shrimp buffets.

 

Well, the CCP warned, not so long ago, about seafood from Japan.

[Lancelot01]

On 2/24/2025 at 6:17 PM, Confuscious said:

Damage is done on many fronts and recovery will be hard for Thailand.

The Chinese kidnapping; The new TAX laws; The "crackdown" on foreigners; The "crackdown" on opening bank accounts; The crackdown on visa agents; Etc.

It seems to me that Thailand is shooting itself in the foot many times in a row.

Seems like the 'hub' of crackdowns?

[Jedi888]

Wow, what a blessing!

There is a book called Pigs on the loose, about all these chnk tourists... But hey, now "poor Japan".

Japanese do NOT like them (either).

[Woke to Sounds]

Damn, I was gonna recruit Chinese actor Wang Xing for my scam call centre.

 

Chinese travelers can always re-book to Vancouver and pick up some cheap real estate while at it.

[Woke to Sounds]

9 hours ago, Lancelot01 said:

Seems like the 'hub' of crackdowns?

 

 

[mran66]

Demand for Thai prawns from Japanese buffet restaurant operators skyrocketing then! 

[kiwikeith]

On 2/25/2025 at 8:32 AM, HappyExpat57 said:

That was also my immediate thought. Chinese don't care enough about other human beings. Now if the exchange rate changes drastically against them, THAT could affect tourism.

Exchange rate would be a major factor 

[Donald Bright]

39 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

Exchange rate would be a major factor 

I'm not sure it would make a lot of difference with the Chinese because before they started coming to Thailand on holiday en mass, Chinese business people came over here and bought hotels, bus companies, souvenir shops and they all come on Chinese airlines so all the money goes back to China and the Thais get zilch.

Japan did this with Queensland in Australia some 25yrs ago and all the money was going back to Japan until the Aussies started being so rude to the Japanese that they did not want to come, problem solved, but of coarse with Thailand being a so called province of China that would never happen. they will just keep on deluding themselves that they are making billions in profit.

[bbbbooboo]

hmm… best news for a long time

[Aussie999]

On 2/25/2025 at 8:46 AM, spidermike007 said:

They won't be missed by most of us. Now, if only the same would happen with the Russians. They don't cower quite as easily. 

 

In terms of the government, it is safe to say the young PM has failed utterly. Is she doing anything at all, besides sipping vintage champagne at dinner parties? 

She only does what her dad tells her to do  can't blame the kid.

[8OA8]

On 2/27/2025 at 7:54 AM, LivingNThailand said:

Who's Shirley?

 

Shirley of the Temple fame, Wat fame is that?

[SportRider]

You need to tweak your prompt engineering so the AI doesn't sound necessarily dramatic. 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Aussie999 said:

She only does what her dad tells her to do  can't blame the kid.

Oh, but I do blame the kid, and I blame the dad. They are both morally bankrupt and completely sold out. 

[ujayujay]

That's another positive headline. Now it would be appropriate for Russkies too!

[black tabby12345]

Abduction news and mass tourists cancellation?

Mass over reaction in the country where everything is counted by millions...

[crazykopite]

Chinese tourism has never recovered since Covid that’s fact plus Thailand has become to expensive there are far cheaper places to visit 

[crazykopite]

On 2/25/2025 at 4:17 AM, Confuscious said:

Damage is done on many fronts and recovery will be hard for Thailand.

The Chinese kidnapping; The new TAX laws; The "crackdown" on foreigners; The "crackdown" on opening bank accounts; The crackdown on visa agents; Etc.

It seems to me that Thailand is shooting itself in the foot many times in a row.

All this since Tony came back on the scene they should not have done a deal with the devil !

[Rimmer]

Posts contriving forum rules have been removed

@RyanWalker

[Kinok Farang]

Noticeable in Pattaya.

More full time "missing links" but not a lot of holidaymakers.

[Pluto56]

Every cloud has a silver lining

[thesetat]

On 2/26/2025 at 7:18 PM, NoDisplayName said:

 

This says nothing.

 

Even assuming all the alleged "cancellations" were due to the kidnap scandal, where are the actual numbers?

 

Could be out of every 100,000 bookings there are normally 100 cancellations.  Now with the scary scare, 194 bookings were cancelled.

 

Shirley nothing to do with low-cost fare promotions to Japan..........

 

1 day agoThat's right, from Japan to Korea to China, Hong Kong and Macau, they've got you. Fly to Taipei from $123*, Macau from $151*, Osaka or Nanjing from $195* or Hangzhou from $185*. Book now before the sale ends on 3 Mar 2025

was looking those airfares myself. .... but Thailand is still cheaper to fly to. Also the hotels are quite costly at over 100 usd per night.... Compared to thailand that is a little more than a hotel in a major city in thailand. So i do not think the costs outweigh as the reason the Chinese are going to Japan. Safety, Air quality are probably the major concerns

 

[CK1980]

On 2/25/2025 at 8:35 AM, DonniePeverley said:

Chinese tourists are now looking elsewhere as they see cheap mass tourism everywhere in Thailand. 

 

Even the middle class Chinese are put off. 

 

Allowing foreigners to stay longer, allow visa free for the whole world (including India, African countries) was a barbaric mistake that has left Thailand open to cheap mass tourists that have ruined the culture, beauty, environmental beauty of the place. 

 

Furthermore, the Benidorm British and draft dodging Russians who are staying here now longer have turned the place upside down into trashy party zones. 

 

Quality tourists are heading elsewhere for their sun and peace. 

Cheap British/Russians/Indians etc. have turned Phuket and other similar tourist trap dumps upside down, but I think it is short sighted to suggest that the whole of Thailand has been ruined and there is no culture or beauty left. Thailand is a BIG country and it's not hard to find many beautiful unspoiled places. Broaden your horizons, don't go to Phuket, Koh Samui etc.. and if in Bangkok don't go to the tourist areas. I live in Bangkok and go for days on end without even seeing another falang, and I'm not even that far from the centre. I just got back from the North East of Thailand where I did not see another falang for 2 weeks. I often visit my friends in the South on an island that hardly even has hotels on it, yes there are tourists, but they are polite and mild mannered. If you go to Phuket etc. what do you expect? It's like going to Benidorm and then complaining that there are trash tourists there, and then suggesting that that the whole of Spain is like that. Use your noodle, avoid the places that are overcrowded tourist traps and you will find as much culture, beauty and environmental beauty as you want. It is the same in any popular tourist country in the world.

[Harrisfan]

On 2/25/2025 at 3:37 AM, Mike_Hunt said:

This makes me sad. 

Why?

[Mike_Hunt]

1 hour ago, Harrisfan said:

Why?

It's tragic. 

[ronnie50]

From a few days ago. NYT's Hannah Beech the correspondent here. It goes from bad to worse for all involved (China, Thailand - and Myanmar). Well written and good interviews.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/world/asia/scam-centers-myanmar-thailand-china.html 

[outsider]

Good riddance. Good luck Japan.

[Felt 35]

I don't understand why China is so highly regarded by Thais. Look west Thailand 

 

Real GDP per capita

 

$22,100 (2023 est.) China

$21,100 (2023 est.) Thailand

$9,200 (2023 est.) India

 

 

$63,600 (2023 est.) Germany

$54,500 (2023 est.) United Kingdom

$72,100 (2023 est.) Denmark

$82,600 (2023 est.) Switzerland 

 

 

The World Factbook - The World Factbook

 

 

 

[khaowong1]

On 2/24/2025 at 8:28 PM, carlf said:

Worries about abduction might not be the only reason for favouring Japan as a destination over Thailand. I went to Japan for holiday a few times recently and it was such a pleasure breathing fresh, clean air. I could clearly see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo, a few hundred kms away. The Japanese respect laws, don't throw trash everywhere, don't burn fields, and they recycle. I love Thailand, but those are clearly areas for major improvement if Thailand wants to attract quality tourists. 

I was thinking the same thing, and agree.  👍

[SanSaiExPat]

On 2/24/2025 at 7:46 PM, spidermike007 said:

They won't be missed by most of us. Now, if only the same would happen with the Russians. They don't cower quite as easily. 

 

In terms of the government, it is safe to say the young PM has failed utterly. Is she doing anything at all, besides sipping vintage champagne at dinner parties? 

The last one I saw was taking a poop in the canal in the old city in Chiang Mai.    Ya, I can do without seeing that again.