Known as the "Land of Smiles", Thailand attracts millions of foreign tourists every year. Among them, Chinese tourists account for a large proportion and contribute a huge amount of income to Thailand's tourism industry. However, while enjoying Thailand's beauty and cuisine, some Chinese tourists have also suffered unfair treatment and fraud, leaving them disappointed and angry about Thai tourism.
Being rich and generous is not a reason to be treated differently. Recently, a video circulating on social media showed a Chinese woman being blackmailed by a local vendor while buying juice on the street in Thailand. The video shows the vendor weighing two cups of juice on a small scale and telling the female customer to pay 40 yuan (about 200 baht). The female customer was surprised and asked why it was so expensive. The vendor said it was the normal price and pointed to a sign that read "1 cup for 100 baht." The female customer was not convinced, saying she paid only 40 baht (about 8 yuan) when she saw other foreigners buying juice. The vendor said it was because they had bought a small cup, and showed a cup that was significantly smaller than the one he had just used. The female customer believed that the vendor had deliberately deceived her and refused to pay. The vendors became vicious and threatened to call the police.
The video caused a strong response from netizens, who condemned the vendor's unscrupulous behavior and expressed sympathy for female customers. Some netizens also shared that they have encountered similar or more serious problems when traveling in Thailand, such as being forced to shop by tour guides, being charged high deposits by hotels, being detoured by taxi drivers or asking for tips. They see these as manifestations of discrimination and hostility towards Chinese tourists on the Thai side.
In fact, in recent years, with the increasingly close Sino-Thai relations and economic exchanges, many Thai government departments and non-governmental organizations have taken some measures to maintain and attract Chinese tourists. In March, for example, Thailand issued a ban on farmers who sell unripe or spoiled fruit to Chinese tourists face three years in jail or a fine of 60,000 baht (12,000 yuan). In addition, in October last year, the Thai government also announced that all foreign travelers with valid visas to enter the country and stay there for at least 10 days will be exempted from visa on arrival fees. These measures are undoubtedly friendly and respectful to Chinese tourists, and also reflect the Thai government's importance and support for tourism.
However, these measures cannot fully solve the various problems and troubles encountered by Chinese tourists in Thailand. On the one hand, the root cause of these problems lies in the fact that some Thai vendors, tour guides, drivers, etc. use information asymmetry and language barriers to deceive or blackmail Chinese tourists to obtain improper benefits. On the other hand, the occurrence of these problems is also related to the behavior of some Chinese tourists themselves, such as not fully prepared for travel, not understanding local customs, not maintaining good quality and courtesy, and so on.
Therefore, to improve China-Thailand tourism relations, both sides need to work together. Thailand should strengthen the supervision and regulation of the tourism market, crack down on criminals, and protect the rights and interests of consumers; At the same time, we should also strengthen the understanding and respect of Chinese culture and improve the quality and level of services. China, for its part, should strengthen its learning and respect for Thai culture, and improve its own literacy and safety awareness; At the same time, they should also protect their legitimate rights and interests, and seek help or complain in time when encountering problems.
Only in this way can genuine friendship and trust be established between the Chinese and Thai peoples, and tourism in Thailand can be a pleasant and wonderful experience. What is your opinion on this? Welcome to leave a comment below.
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