What a surprise! A large number of Thai tourists are pouring into China under the guise of tourism, but in fact there is another purpose

preface

Since the visa-free policy, a large number of foreigners have begun to frantically pour into China!

In the past, there were Korean citizens checking in at major Internet celebrity attractions in Shanghai, which made the "concentration" of Korean in Shanghai continue to rise, and then some Thai friends came to hear the news, so that Shanghai was "occupied by Thai tourists".

However, unlike Korean tourists who eat and check in, the behavior of Thai friends is really incredible. They don't visit the sights or eat the food, they do the same thing.

And when we understand their behavior, we find out that Thai tourists are actually under the guise of tourism, but in fact they have another purpose!

Purpose of Thai tourists

In 2024, after the implementation of the visa-free policy in mainland China, Shanghai will receive 6,705,900 inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of 84%, of which more than 446,000 South Korean tourists will visit scenic spots, do nail art, and show Shanghai's culture to netizens from all over the world.

Many Southeast Asian netizens are also coveted after watching it, they take advantage of the holiday to come to Shanghai, but unlike Korean tourists, they love trendy fun, love food, and play another dimension of Shanghai.

And the most obvious of these is Thai tourists, for Thai tourists, what attractions, food is an afterthought, their most important purpose in Shanghai is to rush to buy Bubble Mart.

Don't look at the mixed reviews of Bubble Mart in China, but in Thailand it is a "god" existence.

In order to rush to buy the Bubble Mart, Korean tourists queue up in long lines before the mall opens, for fear that they will be disappointed when they go late.

Can you think of it? In this country where all the people believe in Buddhism, there is LABUBU in the fireworks-filled hall, which is the doll with only 9 fangs launched by Bubble Mart.

Not only the citizens of Thailand, but even the monks in the temples of Thailand are selling machines to chop their hands LABUBU, and even the tattoo artist has replaced the pattern of the God of Wealth on his body with LABUBU.

And LABUBU has also become a hard currency for boys to chase girls in Thailand, and children either don't accept gifts during the holidays, but only LABUBU is accepted.

According to relevant statistics, Pop Mart will achieve revenue of 13.04 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 106.9%, and overseas revenue alone accounts for nearly 40%, becoming its second growth engine, and Thailand's contribution to it is indispensable.

In Thailand, Pop Mart products are often sold out as soon as they hit the shelves, especially during holidays and promotions.

In addition, the price of blind boxes of 99 yuan makes many domestic consumers hesitate, but after the price of the blind box has skyrocketed to four or five hundred yuan, it is still in short supply in Thailand.

In order to get their beloved Bubble Mart, some foreign netizens even did not hesitate to seek purchasing, and would rather spend several times more to buy LABUBU.

At this time, there may be many concerns that will ask, why are they so popular with the Thai people when they are obviously Chinese trendy dolls?

LABUBU that exploded in Thailand

LABUBU's explosion in Thailand, if you want to talk about meritorious deeds, the biggest hero is definitely Thailand's top star Lisa, whether it is in the video or in the live broadcast room, Lisa can't put down LABUBU.

Lisa has hundreds of millions of fans on ins, and is currently the most charged blogger in Asia ins, with a random advertisement as high as 4.5 million yuan, and Bubble Mart and with this Lisa's love is also winning hemp abroad, without paying a penny of advertising fees, it became popular in Southeast Asia.

In July last year, the Ministry of Tourism of Thailand, together with the Minister of Sports, the Director General of the Thai Tourism Police and others, went to Bangkok Airport to personally pick up LABUBU's dolls, and also awarded LABUBU the honorary title of "Magical Thai Experience Officer".

At the opening ceremony of the first Bubble Mart in Bangkok, Thailand, more than 200 people gathered at the door before the door opened, the reporter interviewed the store manager Kwan at the time, he had only one worry at the time, afraid that the security team he organized could not stop the door at all, and finally became 0 yuan purchase, but fortunately, the situation was controlled, and the performance of 2 million was made on the first day of opening.

When China opened the visa-free policy, Thai tourists aimed at China, and many tour guides said that whether it is a day trip or an in-depth tour, the first thing Thai tourists do is to buy Bubble Mart.

Judging from the picture of a shopping mall in Shanghai, every Thai tourist who comes to shop is full of returns, and many tourists who can't buy the doll they want will still block the door of the store, waiting for the first time to replenish the stock in the big buy a special buy.

Thai tourists said that LABUBU is the "top stream" in Thailand, just like chasing stars, if you don't buy LABUBU in Shanghai, you will be ridiculed by friends around you after returning home.

And most importantly, the Bubble Mart in China is not only rich in style, but also much cheaper than in Thailand, so you have to go home with a full load.

In addition to Bubble Mart, food is also one of the must-see items for Thai tourists.

Food is also an important choice

In addition to the major shopping malls "surrounded" by Thai tourists, they can also be seen in various Internet celebrity food stores in Shanghai.

After tasting a variety of cuisines, Thai tourists say that they prefer the flavors of Yunnan, and although they have not been to the Yunnan region, tasting the local specialties can make their minds imagine the local customs.

In the eyes of many tourists, Michelin-starred restaurants in Shanghai are much more cost-effective than those in Thailand, and they are suitable as the first meal after arriving in Shanghai.

One woman said that she had just tasted the crispy pork belly, and the crunchy texture was really good.

A restaurant manager also said with a smile on his face: "Since the opening of the visa-free policy, we have been able to receive an average of 300 customers per day, and about 200 tourists from Thailand. ”

What's even more gratifying is that whether it is food, drink and entertainment, foreign tourists can always find a different kind of "Chinese good goods" in Shanghai.

epilogue

Openness is a distinctive symbol of contemporary China, and it is also a huge dividend released to the world today.

Nowadays, the continuous optimization of the visa-free policy will also encourage more foreigners to do business, work, study and live in China, promote economic, trade and people-to-people cooperation, and promote the cross-border flow of various factors.

Resources

Source: Newsroom2025-03-31 - Accidental! 300,000 Thais gathered in Shanghai to "roll and make trouble"! It turned out that it was all for these ↗

Source: Xinhua News Agency2024-07-09——What does the 144-hour visa exemption bring to China?

Information source: Shanghai Jiading2025-03-18 - Watching the event, visiting Jiading, foreigners also come to "roll and make trouble"