ATTA fears 50% fall in Chinese group tours to Thailand at Lunar New Year 2027

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has warned that Chinese group-tour business in Thailand could fall by as much as 50% during the Lunar New Year holiday in 2027 unless the government moves quickly to address safety concerns raised by the Chinese embassy.

ATTA president Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn said cancellations following the embassy’s warning about recruitment scams had already left the Chinese group-tour market more than 30% below the same period last year.

Thanapol warned that prolonged damage to traveller confidence could jeopardise Thailand’s target of attracting at least 5 million Chinese visitors in 2026 and leave tour operators facing a weak market into the next Lunar New Year holiday.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said at Government House on October 27 that he intended to discuss the issue with the Chinese ambassador. Sihasak said the cases concerned people targeted by criminal networks and should be distinguished from ordinary tourist travel.

ATTA urges joint action on scams and safety fears

Thanapol urged the Thai government to hold urgent discussions with the Chinese embassy and identify the security problems behind its warning, saying businesses could not afford a prolonged loss of confidence in Thailand.

“I request the Thai government to communicate with the Chinese ambassador urgently. If it does not act quickly and leaves businesses struggling, the Thai economy will suffer,” Thanapol said, pointing to tourism’s importance as an economic driver and China’s position as Thailand’s largest visitor market.

The Chinese embassy’s October 16 advisory reported recent cases involving Chinese nationals who disappeared, were unlawfully detained or were deceived into travelling towards the Thailand–Myanmar border. The embassy warned about fraudulent recruitment, business and investment invitations, and urged citizens travelling to Thailand to strengthen their safety precautions.

Thanapol said Chinese travel demand had previously been improving and called for further clarification from the embassy about the incidents behind its warning, including recent cases involving deception or kidnapping.

Thai security agencies should examine possible gaps in protection and work with Chinese authorities to address them, Thanapol said. The ATTA president questioned whether efforts following the abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing across the Thailand–Myanmar border had adequately tackled the underlying problems.

Thanapol also urged the government to work with relevant organisations to discourage the blanket association of Chinese nationals with criminal activity or businesses suspected of illicit dealings. Investigations should also examine whether Thai nationals or officials were involved in such cases, rather than treating criminality as a matter of nationality, he said.

Sihasak plans talks with Chinese ambassador

Sihasak said on October 27 that he had not yet discussed the latest warning with the Chinese ambassador but planned to seek cooperation on tackling the networks responsible.

Sihasak said authorities needed to establish whether the people involved were entering Thailand for tourism or employment. China also had a responsibility to warn its citizens and put appropriate safeguards in place, while both governments needed to work together, he said.

Travel warnings should be carefully framed because the cases involved particular groups being targeted through organised schemes, Sihasak said. The foreign minister maintained that ordinary Chinese tourists and visitors from other countries were not affected in the same way.

“We need to identify which groups are involved, how people are being deceived and who is behind the networks. Issuing a warning alone does not solve the problem,” Sihasak said.

ATTA calls for two-way tourism push

Thanapol urged Thailand and China to promote tourism in both directions, pointing to the potential for a combined 9 million visits in 2026 if Thailand achieves its Chinese arrival target and Thai travel to China meets expectations.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s target is at least 5 million Chinese visitors this year, Thanapol said. Thai visits to China could reach 4 million, up from about 3 million in 2025.

Thanapol said the tourism and sports minister could use those figures in discussions with the Chinese embassy to support a joint approach to encouraging travel between the two countries.

The outlook for Chinese group tours during November and December, the final two months of Thailand’s high season this year, remained difficult to predict, Thanapol said.

Hotels and tour companies with a heavy dependence on Chinese customers were already feeling the pressure, Thanapol said. In Pattaya, operators had reported fewer Chinese visitors, with many travellers shopping in Bangkok before returning home instead of extending their trips to the seaside city.

Thanapol said a perceived lack of new attractions was weakening Pattaya’s appeal to Chinese visitors. The ATTA president described the city’s Chinese tourism market as being “in a coma” and warned that unresolved safety concerns would add to the difficulties facing businesses.

Chinese arrivals fell 24.17% in October 18–24

Thailand recorded 49,494 Chinese tourist arrivals between October 18 and 24, 2026, down 24.17% from the preceding week, according to Ministry of Tourism and Sports figures cited in the report.

The ministry’s weekly figure covers Chinese arrivals overall, while ATTA’s warning concerns the group-tour market.

Thailand received 24.93 million international visitors between January 1 and October 24, 2026, down 4.43% from the same period a year earlier, according to the ministry. Revenue from international tourism totalled 1.21 trillion baht, down 2.68%.

China remained Thailand’s largest source market over that cumulative period. The ministry’s five leading markets were: (January 1–October 24, 2026)

• China: Over 4.19 million
• Malaysia: 3.16 million
• India: 1.88 million
• Russia: 1.36 million
• South Korea: 912,000