According to the Thai air traffic control company (AeroThai):
Between February 8 and 14, 2024, the total number of flights is expected to reach 16,766, with an average of 2,395 flights per day, an increase of about 17% compared to the same period in 2023. During the seven-day Chinese New Year holiday, it is expected that there will be 1,894 international flights between Thailand and China, with an average of 270 flights per day.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Thailand has always been an important destination for international travel, and due to its tropical atmosphere, short distance from China, and high cost-effective travel, it is very popular with tour groups and individuals for independent travel.
Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai and other places are familiar to everyone, and there are many travel guides on social platforms.
Before the epidemic, there were many flights between China and Thailand, and the three major domestic airlines, regional airlines, low-cost airlines, as well as Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia in Thailand all had many routes, with navigable cities all over the country.
According to statistics, in 2019, about 11 million Chinese tourists traveled to Thailand, ranking first in the number of tourists entering Thailand, accounting for a quarter of the annual number of international tourists in Thailand.
It should be said that at that time, the entire Sino-Thai civil aviation market was very mature, and passengers could find a suitable flight for themselves, with many choices and cheap prices.
It can also be combined into a "new Malaysia-Thailand", where three countries play together.
For many tourists, Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport or Phuket Airport is the first airport they encounter when traveling abroad.
泰国亚洲航空 Thai Asian
In the past few years, the epidemic has indeed made the Sino-Thai civil aviation transport market face many difficulties.
In order to restore the market, China and Thailand have done a lot of work.
In September 2023, in order to promote the recovery of tourism after the epidemic, Thai Prime Minister Saita Thaksin announced that from September 25, 2023 to February 29, 2024, Chinese citizens holding passports and travel documents can enter Thailand without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand has increased significantly since the implementation of this visa-free policy for Chinese tourists.
Thailand received more than 28 million foreign tourists last year, with Malaysia (4.56 million), China (3.52 million), South Korea (1.66 million), India (1.62 million) and Russia (1.48 million), the country's top five source countries said in early January.
In the fourth week of January 2024, there were 736 flights from China to Thailand, recovering to 51.47% of 2019 levels.
In fact, according to the current relationship between China and Thailand and the previous tourism foundation, the recovery rate of the Sino-Thai market is actually not ideal.
Of course, this has something to do with the rumors of "Ka waist", insufficient control of marijuana, and chaos caused by the legalization of gambling on social platforms at the beginning of the year.
Rumors at the time
Rumors at the time
It's hard to say whether there is a network promoter behind this, but someone will guide it.
I've been to Thailand many times, and there may be some of these situations, but it's certainly not mainstream.
Normal group play, or take the mainstream routes and scenic spots of independent travel, safety is not too much of a problem.
It can only be said that the tourism market is a big plate and a stock market with great benefits.
Some places are lively, and naturally there are fewer people going to some places, and there are many conflicts of interest.
Therefore, how to guide tourists is a science.
For example, after the start of New Year's Day, the Harbin tourism market was hot, and tourists from all over the country ran to Harbin.
A lot of work has been done throughout the city of Harbin.
But some people don't see that.
The angle they chose was interesting.
Everyone calls southern tourists "southern little potatoes", which is actually a kind name.
The person who called didn't have any malice, and the person who was called didn't say anything, so he was quite happy.
It's just that some people on the Internet are not happy, and they frequently create topics and contradictions, pulling one side and stepping on one side.
Why is this happening?
Because there are many people who go to Harbin, the three eastern provinces, and even Xinjiang to play ice and snow sports.
There are fewer people going to Hokkaido, to Switzerland, to Northern Europe.
Going a little deeper, there are more people going to Harbin, and more people know about Unit 731, and some people are scared.
Digging a little deeper, some people don't want China's influence in Southeast Asia to be too great.
We don't want Southeast Asia to become China's backyard.
But many times, doing things depends on the general trend, and there are some things that cannot be stopped.
On January 28, 2024, representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand signed the Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on Reciprocal Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports in Bangkok, Thailand. The agreement will enter into force on March 1, 2024. At that time, Chinese ordinary passport holders, ordinary passport holders and Thai ordinary passport holders can enter each other's countries without a visa for a single stay of no more than 30 days (the cumulative stay of every 180 days shall not exceed 90 days).
The recovery of the Sino-Thai market should get better and better.
Looking forward to an early return to 2019 levels and beyond it.