Name: Chinese tourism downturn of 35% hitting Thai economy
Uploaded: 2025-11-04T04:57:21.323Z
Duration: 2 min 33 s
Description: On Wednesday, Thailand celebrates the festival of Loy Kratong, marking the end of the rainy season. It’s hoped the holiday will bring an uptick in tourist arrivals, which are down seven percent this year.

On Wednesday, Thailand celebrates the festival of Loy Kratong, marking the end of the rainy season. It’s hoped the holiday will bring an uptick in tourist arrivals, which are down seven percent this year.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, a major tourist destination in northern Thailand, is experiencing a significant economic impact due to a 35% downturn in Chinese tourism. Local businesses and attractions, such as elephant camps, are struggling as safety concerns and regional instability deter Chinese visitors.

Tourism makes up a substantial portion of Chiang Mai's economy, with estimates ranging from 60% to 70%. The decline in visitors has led to widespread business closures and uncertainty about the future recovery of the tourism sector.

Chinese tourism downturn of 35% hitting Thai economy

Entertainer Uncle Cartoon carefully paints on the tears of a clown. The 64-year-old used to perform on the streets of Chiang Mai for tourists whose donations earned him a good living. But the tourists, particularly those from China, have been scared off. And now he does his clowning for clicks. The issue is scammers and safety. When tourists visit, security is their priority. But if the situation remains like this, and if they think it's not safe to come, regardless of how beautiful Chiang Mai is, they won't come. Northern Thailand's proximity to cyber-scam centres in Myanmar, infamous for kidnapping and torture, has deterred many Chinese visitors. Deadly clashes on the Cambodian border this summer have also done little to quell the concerns of risk-averse tourists, who'd want a vacation in an active war zone. And many Chinese tourists are just staying closer to home, worrying about a trade war with the United States. It doesn't paint a pretty picture for the elephants at the Mekong camp. There are some Chinese tourists here, but they're from Taiwan. And the cost of keeping these skilful beasts is more than $1,000 a month, well over a million dollars a year in total. It affects us a lot. We can imagine, because normally in the high season, we get a lot of Chinese tourists. Everywhere you look, there are signs that the city has lent into the Chinese market. But the tourists themselves are now gone. And there's a real threat to the city itself, which relies on its tourist industry. Chiang Mai is known as the capital of the north, and it traditionally had a very strong local economy. But about a decade ago, people realized how much money they could make off the visitors. And now tourism accounts for 60% of the city's economy. Empty street stalls, shuttered shops. The impact is citywide. To be honest, it's up to 70%. Which means, as a big industry of tourism, that's been related to the accommodation, to food industry, and also the job market. Some hardy visitors from China are still coming. But there are many other destinations tempting them away. And no one's sure if they'll ever come back. Tony Cheng, Al Jazeera, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

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