Thailand’s visa-free policy for Chinese tourists has been criticized for a series of crimes

Author: Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng

BANGKOK – Thailand’s visa-free program for Chinese citizens is under scrutiny after the high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor and similar crimes have raised concerns about tourism and security.

Earlier this month, an incident involving actor Wang Xing was widely shared on Chinese social media, prompting Thai Prime Minister Bai Dongtham Shinawatra to reassure Chinese tourists ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, with visitor numbers reaching a record 39.9 million in 2019 before the pandemic hit the industry hard.

In 2023, the government lifted visa requirements for tourists from China, its largest source market, in a bid to boost the industry. Since then, the number of foreign tourists has increased by 26% annually, reaching 35.5 million, of which approximately 6.73 million tourists from China have increased by 91%.

Senator Wanchai Ekpornpichit said the surge in arrivals from China could lead to an increase in illegal activity, particularly in towns bordering Laos and Myanmar, where criminal enterprises operate scam centers and online gambling operations .

“The visa-free policy has increased transnational crime, and some criminals are based in Thailand,” Wanchai said in parliament on Monday.

“We are becoming a hub of criminal activity … and it is impacting national security and tourism.”

Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong told reporters on Tuesday that there were no plans to review the visa waiver program.

Some tourism groups in Thailand have proposed shortening the visa-free stay period for Chinese tourists from 60 days to 15 days.

“The stay time of Chinese tourists is about 7-8 days, so it will not affect the tourism industry,” Adith Chairattananon, secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, told Reuters.

Addis said he had discussed the proposal, which could help reduce crime, with the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand’s main tourism agency.

According to Chinese state media reports, overseas fraud syndicates deceive Chinese citizens with high-paying jobs and other inducements, trapping them in telecom fraud dens in towns such as Myawaddy on the Myanmar-Thailand border.

Last year, Thailand helped repatriate about 900 Chinese nationals trapped at the center of the Myawaddy scam.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Sharon Singleton)