A: Hey there! Guess what I just heard?

B: What's up? What's new?

A: Thailand's trying hard to bring back their tourists, especially the ones from China. You know why? Because their numbers went down almost half in May!

B: Whoa, that's a big drop! Is it affecting other industries too?

A: Yup, it's causing quite a stir because it affects lots of different areas.

B: How bad is it exactly? I mean, compared to last year.

A: Last May, there was a 44% decrease in Chinese tourists and from January to May it was down by 32%.

B: That's a big drop! Is it worse than the decline for all international visitors?

A: Actually, it's much steeper. The overall drop in international visitors was less than 3%.

B: So what caused this dip in Chinese tourists?

A: Well, there were some safety concerns and negative feelings sparked by a few big news stories. Like human trafficking from Thailand to places like Myanmar and an earthquake in Bangkok that brought down a high-rise building.

B: That sounds serious. What are they doing about it?

A: They're trying all sorts of things to restore Thailand's image as a safe place for travel, like inviting Chinese influencers to check out model tours and increasing the number of flights from major cities in China.
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Thailand is stepping up efforts to woo back tourists from China. Their numbers slumped by almost half in May. The slowdown is causing concern because of its impact across a wide range of industries.



According to Thailand's tourism ministry, there was a 44 percent drop in Chinese tourists compared to May of last year. From January to May there was a 32 percent drop.



That's far steeper than the decrease in all international visitors, which was less than 3 percent.



Authorities blame the slowdown on safety concerns and negative sentiments triggered by a series of headline-grabbing events, including human trafficking from Thailand to scam centers in Myanmar and an earthquake in March that brought down a high-rise in Bangkok.



Officials are trying all kinds of ways to rebuild Thailand's image as a safe travel destination, such as inviting Chinese influencers to experience model tours.



The government is also working to increase the number of flights from major Chinese cities and regional centers.