Chinese Tourists Turn to Vietnam as Safety Fears and Rising Costs Weigh on Thailand

A Shift in Travel Choices Across Asia

Vietnam drew more Chinese travelers than Thailand in the first half of 2025, as concerns about scams and trafficking changed holiday plans across the region. Industry tallies indicate Chinese arrivals to Thailand have fallen by about 35 percent this year. Between January and mid September, Thailand received about 3.23 million Chinese tourists, while Vietnam welcomed more than 3.5 million in the first eight months alone.

Thailand now expects around 5 million Chinese visitors for the full year, compared with 6.7 million in 2024 and more than 11 million in 2019, before the pandemic. The projected 2025 total would be about 25 percent below last year and less than half the 2019 figure. For hotels, restaurants, shops and tour operators, the missing visitors mean fewer bookings and less spending.

The change accelerated after Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Bangkok with a fake job offer, trafficked across the border to Myanmar and later rescued. His case spread widely on Chinese social platforms, giving families a concrete reason to reconsider a destination that had long been a default choice for a short holiday abroad.

Safety is only part of Thailand's difficulty. A stronger baht has raised costs for Chinese visitors, fewer airline seats have limited travel options, and competing destinations offer different combinations of price, convenience and reassurance. Vietnam is attracting travelers with affordable trips and new experiences. Japan remains high on wish lists because visitors value its safety, cleanliness and dependable services.

As of September 25, Thailand's response combines safety certification, police action, marketing campaigns and seasonal discounts. Its challenge is to turn those measures into enough confidence for families to book again.

How One Trafficking Case Changed Bookings

Wang's journey connected Bangkok, a major holiday gateway, with the danger of scam compounds across the border. Many such compounds operate outside Thailand, in border areas of Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. For travelers weighing a holiday, however, a case that began with arrival in Thailand made the whole route feel risky.

The incident also echoed the plot of the 2023 film No More Bets, which dramatized trafficking and online fraud rings in Southeast Asia. The film had already given audiences a familiar story about deception and captivity. Wang's experience attached a real name and face to those fears, just as families were considering Lunar New Year trips and later summer holidays.

Travel platforms recorded a quick response. Net bookings to Thailand fell by around 15 percent in the week after news of Wang's rescue, and cancellations of flights from China to Thailand spiked in January. Net bookings measure new reservations after cancellations are taken into account, so a fall can reflect both fewer people booking and more people abandoning existing plans.

Some travelers switched to Singapore and Malaysia, where they viewed city center environments as easier to navigate and more secure. Bookings also picked up for Australia, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. Others dropped Southeast Asia altogether. Thailand suffered the largest blow, but the caution extended across the region.

The main developments unfolded across several periods:

• 2023: No More Bets brought stories about trafficking and online fraud rings to a large Chinese audience.
• January 2025: Wang's case drew intense attention, flight cancellations spiked and bookings weakened ahead of the holiday rush.
• First half of 2025: Vietnam attracted more Chinese travelers than Thailand.
• January to August 2025: Airline seat capacity between China and Thailand fell by more than 11 percent compared with a year earlier.
• January to mid September 2025: Thailand recorded about 3.23 million Chinese arrivals.
• Late September to the end of December 2025: Thailand's Chinese Passport Privilege program offers seasonal discounts and gifts at approved venues.

Why Safety Warnings Last

Surveys of Chinese outbound travelers place safety ahead of food and accommodation when people choose where to go. About 41 percent of respondents identified it as their leading planning factor. Travelers organizing trips for extended families placed even greater weight on it.

In the latest survey readings, more than half of respondents described Thailand as unsafe, a sharp increase from the previous spring. Thailand's safety rating had worsened compared with last year, while Vietnam and Cambodia also ranked near the bottom. Those findings help explain why Vietnam can gain visitors while still facing caution about the region.

Chinese families increasingly screen destinations for safety before comparing prices or scenery. Repeated crime headlines involving Chinese victims strengthen those concerns. Although many compounds are across borders in places with weak enforcement, travelers connect an arrival in Bangkok with what happened afterward in Myanmar.

Social media keeps those connections alive. Posts spread quickly after prominent cases, and warnings continue circulating in group chats long after police close a particular site. A destination can remain labeled risky in online discussions even as authorities announce new measures.

Travelers are looking for practical reassurance: arrests, safer travel routes and emergency lines that provide fast help. Recommendations from friends who have used those services carry weight. Until that reassurance spreads, families can choose somewhere they expect to feel more straightforward and secure.

How Vietnam Captured More Demand

Vietnam entered this period with several advantages. It allows visa free entry for Chinese tour groups, keeps travel costs below many competing destinations and offers short flights. For people taking their first overseas holiday from smaller Chinese cities, its beaches, mountain scenery and cities provide a trip that feels new without requiring a long journey.

Local authorities and businesses have added reasons to visit. Border provinces have promoted paragliding shows, hot air balloon festivals and cultural events. In Danang and Nha Trang, hotels and shops are hiring staff who speak Mandarin, introducing bilingual menus and building packages for families and small groups.

Vietnam received nearly 14 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2025. More than 3.5 million came from mainland China, an increase of about 44 percent compared with the same period a year earlier. Chinese travelers therefore accounted for roughly a quarter of foreign arrivals, using those totals.

Tourism related retail sales rose by about 51 percent compared with 2024. Analysts expect Vietnam to reach a new annual arrivals record in 2025, with projections near 22.6 million. Those are forecasts for the full year, rather than completed visitor totals.

Vietnam is also attracting more independent Chinese travelers. They want local food, journeys on local transport and the freedom to change an itinerary. That differs from inexpensive group tours that move quickly between shopping stops. The opportunity for businesses extends beyond filling tour buses to serving visitors who choose their own restaurants, activities and routes.

Why Japan Remains So Attractive

Japan remains a leading choice for many Chinese travelers despite requiring visas. Visitors cite safety, cleanliness, predictable rules and reliable urban transport. Families traveling with children or elderly parents value knowing how they will get around and what to expect when they arrive.

Flights from major Chinese cities remain plentiful, while Japan's proximity keeps travel times manageable. That combination supports both first visits and repeat holidays. Travelers seeking convenience can accept extra planning before departure when they expect the trip itself to run smoothly.

A weak yen provides another attraction. Chinese shoppers compare prices online and prepare lists for cosmetics, electronics, fashion and everyday goods, sometimes timing trips around seasonal sales. The exchange rate makes those purchases more appealing.

Visitors may accept higher accommodation and dining costs because they trust that purchases will be genuine and assistance will be available if problems arise. In that calculation, value means more than the lowest hotel rate. Safety and dependable service become benefits people are willing to pay for.

Thailand Faces a Cost and Capacity Squeeze

Thailand's traditional price advantage has weakened. The baht has strengthened against the yuan, making hotels, tours and meals around 20 percent more expensive for Chinese visitors than last year by some estimates. When the baht rises against the yuan, a traveler needs more Chinese currency to buy the same amount of Thai currency.

Daily expenses, from airport transfers to coffee, have also climbed faster than in nearby markets. Thai businesses face rising wages and energy bills, limiting how far they can discount rooms or services during the low season.

Airline seat capacity between China and Thailand fell by more than 11 percent from January through August compared with the same period last year. Fewer available seats reduce choice on popular dates and can push fares higher. Even when demand improves for a holiday, limited capacity can make it harder to secure a convenient, affordable flight.

Thailand also registered a decline of about 7 percent in total foreign arrivals through late summer. The pressure therefore reaches beyond the Chinese market. Families comparing destinations encounter several discouraging signals together: higher daily costs, fewer flights and persistent safety warnings.

What the Decline Means for Thai Businesses

Thailand's expected 5 million Chinese visitors this year would leave a gap of about 1.7 million compared with 2024. Chinese travelers generally stay longer and spend more on shopping and dining than many other visitor groups, making the decline particularly painful for businesses serving them.

Industry analysts estimate that as much as $3.5 billion in tourism revenue Thailand might have captured this year has instead flowed to Vietnam and other neighboring countries. Hotel operators are preparing for revenues to contract by around 4 to 5 percent in 2025.

Short bursts of bookings around national holidays have not filled the gap. Fewer flights and weaker confidence among Chinese consumers have limited the benefit of last minute demand. A busy holiday period can help individual businesses while leaving the wider annual shortfall largely intact.

Thailand's competitors are seeing stronger results in parts of the market. South Korea is on track for a full recovery in Chinese travelers this year. Singapore and Malaysia have at times welcomed more Chinese arrivals than in 2019. Those patterns show that Chinese demand is moving between destinations as travelers compare reassurance, access and cost.

Thailand's Plan to Restore Confidence

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has introduced Trusted Thailand certification for hotels, shopping malls and attractions that meet higher security and service standards. The aim is to give visitors identifiable places where those expectations are met.

A Nihao Month promotion and joint campaigns with Chinese online travel agencies seek to keep Thailand visible while confidence recovers. The Chinese Passport Privilege program adds seasonal discounts and gifts at approved venues from late September through the end of December 2025.

Thai authorities have also highlighted police operations against fraud rings and cooperation with China and neighboring countries against networks operating across borders. After Wang's kidnapping attracted widespread attention, Thailand's prime minister appeared in a video intended to reassure Chinese viewers.

The government's message includes more patrols in tourist areas, easier access to emergency assistance and stricter screening of suspicious operators. These measures address the practical concerns that can shape a booking decision: who can help, how quickly help arrives and whether a transport or tour provider can be trusted.

Hotel and tour association executives want that effort paired with improvements to the visitor experience. They have urged investment beyond Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, including new routes through less familiar regions. Their proposals include clearer standards for transport and tours, better airport transfers and support in several languages in provincial cities.

The industry wants Thailand to offer higher quality while remaining cheaper than Japan. Reassurance and price promotions are parts of that effort, alongside a broader choice of places to visit.

What the Next Generation of Travelers Wants

Many newer Chinese tourists are first time passport holders from inland cities. They have grown up using mobile payments and ride hailing services, and they plan journeys through short videos and reviews from other travelers.

These visitors want authentic food, access to nature and a mixture of cultural and modern experiences. Independent trips and small groups give them more flexibility than budget tours that pack dozens of people onto a bus.

Practical details can make those trips easier. Bilingual signs, familiar digital payment options, clearly priced taxis and transfers, and quick electronic visa processes reduce uncertainty. Visible police patrols, well publicized helplines staffed in Mandarin and clean public transport add reassurance.

When those basics work, travelers are willing to spend on rooftop dining, spa packages and excursions featuring wildlife, waterfalls and local crafts. For destinations seeking more tourism income, dependable everyday services support spending on experiences.

Winter Demand and the Longer View

Thailand's winter months are traditionally strong for tourism, and new packages could provide a lift. Higher airfares, a stronger baht and widely shared safety alerts are still discouraging spontaneous bookings. The scale of any recovery over the rest of 2025 remains uncertain.

China's wider travel market offers room for growth. Transport authorities projected a record nine billion trips during the Lunar New Year travel rush lasting 40 days. China is also encouraging domestic tourism, which takes some immediate pressure off overseas travel demand.

Thai industry leaders expect China's middle class to grow toward 800 million people by 2035. They see that expanding group as a substantial future market for holidays within a short flight of home.

To attract those travelers, Thailand will need sustained action against fraud, consistent service and reasons to choose its destinations over competitors. Proposed priorities include joint police operations with neighboring countries, immediate visitor support and transparent taxi and tour prices.

Cleaner beaches, safer nightlife areas and modern rail connections between airports and resorts are also part of the improvements envisaged. Thailand's goal is to win back families looking for value while moving closer to Japan's standards of service and reassurance.

Key Points

• Vietnam attracted more Chinese travelers than Thailand in the first half of 2025, while industry tallies indicate Chinese arrivals to Thailand fell about 35 percent this year.
• Thailand expects around 5 million Chinese visitors in 2025, compared with 6.7 million in 2024 and more than 11 million in 2019.
• Bookings weakened after actor Wang Xing was trafficked through Thailand to Myanmar and rescued.
• Vietnam welcomed nearly 14 million foreign visitors through August, including more than 3.5 million from mainland China, up about 44 percent.
• Vietnam's tourism related retail sales rose about 51 percent, while analysts project around 22.6 million foreign arrivals for the full year.
• Airline seat capacity between China and Thailand fell more than 11 percent through August.
• A stronger baht has made hotels, tours and meals around 20 percent more expensive for Chinese visitors by some estimates.
• Industry estimates put tourism revenue redirected from Thailand to Vietnam and other neighbors at up to $3.5 billion.
• Japan continues to attract Chinese tourists with safety, reliable services and shopping value supported by a weak yen.
• Thailand is using safety certification, police cooperation, marketing and discounts to rebuild confidence.