Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said the number of chartered flights to Thailand is expected to rise this year, supported by a subsidy program offering 350,000 baht (US$10,786) per flight.

The increase is attributed to new agreements with travel agencies in Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Hangzhou, Cheewarattanaporn said, according to Bangkok Post.

In addition, large incentive groups choosing Bangkok as their destination are helping to restore travel confidence among Chinese tourists and attract more independent travelers back to Thailand, he added.

Safety concerns have affected Chinese tourists’ travel plan following the high-profile kidnapping of Chinese actor Xing Xing in Thailand in January.

Zheng Wei, owner of Gansu Junhe Cultural Tourism, a major tour operator in Lanzhou, expects the true impact of these measures to begin materializing in November and December, Bangkok Post reported. If no major disruptions occur, Chinese tourism to Thailand could rebound to 70–80% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year.

Thailand received only 2.64 million Chinese tourists during the first seven months of this year.

The Bank of Thailand expects the number of Chinese visitors to the country to fall to five million this year, 25% less than in 2024, amid a tourism slump, Nation Thailand reported.

Last year Thailand received over 35 million visitors, including 6.7 million Chinese.