BUSINESS

Thailand Falls out of Favor With Chinese Tourists

Published: Jul. 2, 2025 4:21 p.m. GMT+8

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Tourists visit the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya, Thailand in March. Photo: Xinhua

Thailand is losing its long-held status as a top destination for Chinese travelers, as safety concerns and shifting travel preferences push vacationers toward Japan, South Korea and other Southeast Asian nations this summer.

Chinese carriers plan to operate 12,800 flights between China and Thailand during the peak July-August travel season, down 22.6% from a year ago and just 60% of pre-pandemic levels, according to aviation data provider Flight Master. By contrast, flights between China and Japan are up 35.3% year-on-year to 25,300, while flights to South Korea rose 13.4% to 20,500.

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Chinese travel to Thailand has sharply declined, with flights down 22.6% year-on-year and tourist visits dropping 33% in early 2025.
Safety concerns, currency depreciation, and broader visa-free options are pushing Chinese travelers to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.
Flights between China and Japan rose 35.3% year-on-year, while Cambodia saw a 78% jump in Chinese air travelers; airlines are shifting resources accordingly.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

Flight Master: Flight Master is an aviation data provider that tracks flight operations. It reported a significant decrease of 22.6% in Chinese airline flights to Thailand in July-August compared to last year, reaching only 60% of pre-pandemic levels. Conversely, flights from China to Japan and South Korea have seen substantial increases.

Air China: Air China has significantly reduced its flights between Beijing and Bangkok to once a week and suspended routes from Kunming. In contrast, it has increased services to Japan, now operating three daily flights between Beijing and Tokyo and launching a new Chengdu-Sapporo route. This reflects a broader shift in Chinese travel preferences away from Thailand.

China Eastern: China Eastern has altered its flight operations between China and Thailand. The airline stopped using widebody jets on its Shanghai-Bangkok route. Conversely, China Eastern is now utilizing widebody aircraft for its Shanghai-Osaka route, signaling a shift in focus towards the Japan market.

VariFlight: VariFlight is an aviation data provider that tracks flight operations. They reported a significant decrease of 22.6% in planned flights between China and Thailand for July-August compared to last year. Conversely, data provided by VariFlight also shows a tripling of weekly flights between mainland China and Sapporo and Fukuoka. A VariFlight spokesperson stated that policy shifts, currency exchange rates, and evolving consumer preferences are influencing these trends.

Spring Airlines: Spring Airlines has shifted its aircraft from Thai routes to Japanese routes. This redeployment involves four aircraft, highlighting the changing travel preferences of Chinese tourists, who are increasingly favoring Japan over Thailand.

CADAS: CADAS (Chinese: 民航数据分析系统) is an aviation analytics firm. The article references CADAS data on passenger volumes and growth percentages for various international routes from China, including trends for China-Japan, China-Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

early 2024：: China remained Thailand’s largest source of tourists, sending 6.73 million visitors out of the country’s total 35.5 million international visitors.

2024：: Yuan depreciated against the Thai baht, making trips to Thailand more expensive for Chinese travelers.

Between January and May 2025：: Travelers from China made 1.95 million trips to Thailand, down 33% from the same period in 2024.

May 2025：: Chinese trips to Thailand dropped 45% year-on-year.

May 2025：: Kasikorn Research Center forecast the first annual drop in international visitors to Thailand in three years.

earlier this year 2025：: Chinese actor Wang Xing disappeared in Thailand, raising safety concerns among Chinese tourists.

early June 2025：: Caixin visit to Bangkok observed that most Chinese visitors were young travelers flocking to social media hotspots and shopping centers, rather than families or older tourists.

last week of June 2025：: Passenger volumes on China-Japan and China-Korea routes jumped 30% and 20% respectively compared to the previous year; Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia saw double-digit year-on-year growth in Chinese air travelers to Southeast Asia, with Cambodia up 78%, Vietnam up 40%, and Malaysia up 31%.

AI generated, for reference only