BANGKOK – Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during her visit to China next week, in a bid to address concerns of tourists over safety in Thailand.
Ms Paetongtarn’s planned trip to Beijing on Feb 5 to 8 comes after the Thai government reassured Chinese tourists of their safety amid reports of cancellation by some travellers spooked by a high-profile trafficking case of a Chinese actor near the Thai border with Myanmar earlier in January.
Ms Paetongtarn said she will ask for China’s help in curbing negative rumours about safety in Thailand, and will also express concerns to Mr Xi about the call centre scams in neighbouring countries.
China is the biggest source of tourists for Thailand, with arrivals accounting for 6.7 million out of 35.5 million travelers in 2024.
Ms Paetongtarn previously ordered law enforcement agencies to step up a crackdown against call centre gangs and ensure the safety of tourists as the industry accounts for about 12 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and nearly a fifth of jobs.
Across South-east Asia, the billion-dollar cyberscam operations have been expanding, particularly in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Often run by Chinese fugitives who fled their home nation in 2020 following a domestic crackdown, they have taken cover in areas of Myanmar where the military regime is losing control over territories to rebels. BLOOMBERG
Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
