Thailand targets at least 2 million Chinese tourists over year's last 4 months

By Reuters September 26, 2025 | 07:03 pm PT

Tourists visit Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn on the eve of Lunar New Year in Bangkok, Thailand January 28, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Thailand aims to attract at least 2 million Chinese tourists over the next four months by ensuring safety for travelers, the tourism ministry said on Friday.

Thailand received 3.23 million Chinese tourists between Jan. 1 and Sept. 14, 2025.

The full-year tally is expected to reach nearly 5 million, down from 6.7 million in 2024 and well below the pre-Covid record of more than 11 million in 2019.

Safety concerns have affected Chinese tourists' travel plan following the high-profile kidnapping of Chinese actor Xing Xing in Thailand in January.

In August, the state planning agency cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 33 million from 37 million.

There was a record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the pandemic.