Tourism Tourism Chiefs Rally for 3.5 Billion Baht Boost to Attract Chinese Visitors

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Kasikorn Research Centre

 

Thai tourism authorities are urging for a THB 3.5 billion fund injection to invigorate tourism, targeting both domestic and international sectors, with a focus on the Chinese market.

 

This decision arises after statistics indicated a slight fall in international visitors during the early months of 2025, primarily impacting the crucial influx from China.

 

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), is poised to present this hefty proposal to the Cabinet.

 

Central to this comprehensive plan is a strategy aimed at matching 2024's 6.7 million Chinese visitors. Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong disclosed that these plans were formulated after consultations with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

 

Minister Sorawong explains that an earlier plan to secure THB 3.5 billion from the central emergency reserve for the 'Visit Thailand Together' initiative has been strategically reshaped. This will now divert funds to spearhead projects enhancing both inbound tourism and domestic travel.

 

TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool labeled the budget proposition a necessary "booster shot." Presented to the Prime Minister and slated for Cabinet submission, the plan incorporates three specific campaigns designed to revitalise tourism markets.

 

The tri-fold approach includes a revamped "Visit Thailand Together" programme to bolster low-season domestic travel. The proposed reduction in eligible participants below one million and cap usage to fewer than ten times seeks to sustain interest while balancing resource allocation across key cities.

 

Additionally, a "Joint Promotion" initiative with online travel agencies aims to capture the free independent traveler (FIT) segment, leveraging major global OTA platforms for wider reach.

 

Crucially, a "Joint Promotion" arrangement with airlines, particularly for the Chinese market, intends to ameliorate image concerns stifling tourist numbers. Ensuring strong passenger loads on charter flights is vital, and this partnership strategy hinges on collaborative OTA efforts.

 

Addressing China's tourism challenges, Thapanee underscores safety perceptions and unfavorable online commentary as significant travel deterrents. The situation's urgency is pronounced with charter flight markets notably affected, posing a threat to regular scheduled flights.

 

As the proposal moves forward, tourism officials stress the urgency and necessity of maintaining Thailand's attractiveness while countering the challenges detrimental to its external visitor segments. This concerted effort marks a pivotal move to sustain Thailand's tourism recovery trajectory amidst evolving global patterns.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-05-08

 

 

[ozz1]

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

[fondue zoo]

The problem isn't the amount of money they're spending outside of Thailand. TAT isn't very good at reading the room.

[blaze master]

Everyone can......brawl for the money.

[JimHuaHin]

With all the negative international media reports of Thailand's failures, many Chinese are staying away.

 

Spend money on fixing the "problems" in Thailand, then the tourists will return.

[JoePai]

2 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

My tax Baht   😡

[cmsally]

Will that money be going back into "Chinese pockets". Where I live, many of the hotels and tourist businesses are owned/run by Chinese. Most of their customers are also Chinese.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai tourism authorities are urging for a THB 3.5 billion fund injection to invigorate tourism,

TAT must be the best job in the world.... 

[ronster]

That will get a few nice new cars for those in charge of it !!

Insane amount for attracting tourists to the #1 hub of everything 🙈

[thailand49]

These Thai leaders have got to be the biggest crooks in the world sadly their own people don't see it!  Asking for billions after billions to a specific group. If this money for tourist was spent on their own starting with schools, hospital, infracsture and such, people would come on their own but instead ask for billions to paint a picture that isn't there.

[jcmj]

Until they get Thailand back to its former glory it’s a waste of money, especially on the Chinese. Fix the infrastructure, sidewalks, police patrols, traffic, 10x up pricing for foreigners, hanging wires and the mess. Clean up the beaches every morning. So much they need to do here before they spend that kind of money getting people here only to be disappointed. Thailand has lost its way and the other countries are finding theirs. Maybe TAT need to take a flight to Vietnam or Malaysia and see why they are getting the tourists. Yes money is a big factor with the inflated Baht, but they also should have learnt from their past mistakes not to put all their eggs in one basket. When they go, and they are, then this is what happens. 

[digger70]

7 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

Minister Sorawong explains that an earlier plan to secure THB 3.5 billion from the central emergency reserve for the 'Visit Thailand Together' initiative has been strategically reshaped. This will now divert funds to spearhead projects enhancing both inbound tourism and domestic travel.

[Grusa]

What %age of 3,500,000,000.00 baht will stick in places where it shouldn't?

Answers in no less than two digits, each greater than 3, please.

[Sydebolle]

Introduce a "landing" tax for Chinese passport holders and finance this out of that slush fund. 

It is the private industry, the tourism-related SMEs, who have to get their act together. From a governmental point of view:
- eradicate on all levels the two-tier pricing; if necessary fine those who still keep this ill-gotten practice
- throw out those zero-dollar operators
- ensure sufficient Mandarin-speaking guides who can take care of this avalanche from the North; possibly allow Chinese citizen to guide their groups (as so done in most European countries)
- understand that volume alone can be suicidal; sometimes quality prevails over quantity
- explain in details, what they need this hefty amount of taxpayer's money for
- last not least, how many Chinese have arrived and then compare that with this budget idea
 

[renaissanc]

Maybe the Thai authorities believe the CCP's BS that their economy is doing wonderfully well. The opposite is the truth with the tariffs and tens of millions of Chinese workers are unemployed as a result. It doesn't how much Thailand spends to attract Chinese tourists, they don't have the money to come.

Surely, the Thai government knows that the CCP is planning to invade Taiwan by 2027. The CCP has said so. What will Thailand do when NO Chinese tourists come? It's high time to plan for this eventuality.

[emptypockets]

The proposed reduction in eligible participants below one million and cap usage to fewer than ten times seeks to sustain interest while balancing resource allocation across key cities.

 

 

 

I have no idea what this means.

AI lost the plot?

[Guderian]

Brilliant idea! Spend 3.5 billion Baht that you can't afford promoting Thai tourism to the Chinese who'll then mostly come on zero dollar tours that provide hardly any benefit to the Thai economy. No wonder the country's broke if this is the best they can come up with.

[Phuket Pete]

Better invest in some beach cleaners !

[geisha]

Apart from hardly understanding a word of the above article , what does Mr Tingtong plan to do with this money ? 
I think any spare money should be spent on urgently  required infrastructure.

Question, what have they done with the money from the million of tourists in the past golden years? , bugger all.

[sqwakvfr]

I was just in BKK for the last few days.  Unlike in the past I used to hear and see hordes of Chinese in the usual spots but this time it was hard to hear and see Chinese tourists.  However I did see two groups of Indians at my hotel and they even had an Indian tour guide.  So instead of trying to win the Chinese back why not just focus in on the Indians.  

[newbee2022]

10 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

More important:

Where the money is going to?😳

[Photoguy21]

9 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

The problem isn't the amount of money they're spending outside of Thailand. TAT isn't very good at reading the room.

A blind man could read the room better

[SmokeandIce]

2 hours ago, thailand49 said:

These Thai leaders have got to be the biggest crooks in the world sadly their own people don't see it!  Asking for billions after billions to a specific group. If this money for tourist was spent on their own starting with schools, hospital, infracsture and such, people would come on their own but instead ask for billions to paint a picture that isn't there.

You wrote exactly what I would.  Properly fund schools and hospitals, not chasing potential tourists

[Ubonian Canadian]

10 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

China is quite broke at the moment, not a lot of spare change around. Why waste the money on a dead dog? Me thinks maybe there is an alternative method for this madness. Perhaps the trough is drying up? I know certain things don't make sense a lot of the time here but this initiative is a cake that is hard to swallow.

[Grumpy one]

11 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Where is the money coming from the money tree looks bare no money for citizens but money for Chinese what a farce

The 10,000 baht that most of the population are still waiting for may be side tracked.

Assuming it's not spent on new cars and homes

[SOTIRIOS]

...Throw Good Money After Bad'...

...If They Require Billions More To Merely Do Their Jobs...Which They Are Not Doing...Maybe More Sensible To Replace Them...(?)

...Throwing Billions After Billions And... (?)

...Nothing Has Changed Or Improved (?)

...The Fooding Previously...The Air Pollution...Etc...

[Quentin Zen]

Just give everyone a 10-year visa-exempt stamp. Even an extra 100 baht from Dave the Drunkard, a ladyboy fighter motorcycle racer, is better than no money. Ban all negative Farang articles, and we'll soon forget how bad we are.

 

or let the farang buy and own land.  but then soon inflation will go up 1,000,000,000 percent.   

 

 

[DonniePeverley]

How about improving safety?

 

Stopping the illegal working practises and scams? 

 

Reduce visa so it's only for tourism.

 

The disgusting bad behaviour from western tourists needs addressing - reduce visa back to 30 days, and toughen up the DTV by making it harder to get so you don't have human dross relocating here. 

 

Reduce visa back to 30 days. Stops long term stays staying in airbnb, which will make life better for hoteliers. 

 

Reduce visa for Chinese to 15 days. 

 

Stop visa free for many nationalities including India.

 

More stronger policing. 

[trainman34014]

For 'Spearhead Projects'...read...'Certain peoples Pockets' !

[newnative]

     The money would be much better spent targeted at improving tourist spots all over Thailand that are in need of upgrading in some places and maintenance in others that has been neglected.