Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, is hoping for a rebound in Chinese arrivals in May during the Labor Day holiday, after witnessing a decline due to safety concerns.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand dropped by 12% compared to last year, totaling only 1 million in the initial two months of this year due to economic issues and worries about tourist safety. Bangkok Post cited according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reports.

In February, the number of visitors from China decreased by 45% when compared to the previous year's figures for the same month.

The second biggest economy in Southeast Asia aimed to attract a minimum of 9 million tourists from China this year.

However, safety concerns intensified after the prominent abduction of the Chinese actor. Wang Xing Also referred to as Xing Xing, in January, measures were taken to discourage possible tourists from China, which is the nation's biggest contributor of international visitors.

Cancellations of flights from Chinese tourists to Thailand increased by 94% in January, and data covering the first half of February suggests that travel reservations are still lower than those recorded for the same period in 2024, as reported. Bloomberg Intelligence research .

TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing in Asia and the South Pacific, Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, expressed optimism that Chinese arrivals will recover in May, coinciding with China’s five-day Labor Day holiday.

"People have already started making bookings for this period," she said.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents predicts that Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand will amount to just 7 million this year, failing to meet the government’s expectation of 9 million. Nation Thailand reported.

Besides safety issues, Thailand is also grappling with increasing rivalry from other locations like Japan and Vietnam, the organization noted.