Many Chinese tourists planning to visit Thailand for the Lunar New Year have voiced safety concerns online, following the recent abduction of actor Wang Xing. Wang, who disappeared after arriving in Thailand for a work assignment last Friday, was later rescued from a human trafficking ring in Myanmar near the Thai border.
The incident, widely publicised in China, has caused a decline in travel bookings to Thailand.
On the social media platform Xiaohongshu, searches for "How to cancel my Thailand trip?" saw over 380,000 posts.
A woman from Zhejiang province cancelled her group's trip, citing safety worries, especially for women travelling alone. The Shanghai branch of Ctrip, a major travel agency, also reported a drop in bookings to Thailand.
Wang had been tricked by a Chinese contact posing as a representative of a Thai entertainment company, leading him to Myanmar, where he was coerced into participating in telecom fraud operations.
After his rescue, Thai authorities took swift action to address the growing concerns.
Tourism experts predict a potential 10-20% decline in Chinese tourists to Thailand during the holiday season due to these safety concerns.
This follows a broader trend of Chinese nationals being lured into fraud schemes in northern Myanmar, with reports suggesting that thousands of people have been involved.
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