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Thai Tourism Sector Urges Tourist Exchange during Li Qiang Visit

Thai Tourism Sector Urges Tourist Exchange during Li Qiang Visit

Prachachat•Economy•23m ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai Travel Agents Association urges the Thai government to negotiate a tourist exchange with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his upcoming visit.

  • •Chinese Premier Li Qiang is scheduled to officially visit Thailand from November 13-15, 2026.
  • •Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn of ATTA advocates for official agreements on tourism and security to restore confidence.
  • •Thai tourists visiting China have exceeded 3 million, while Chinese tourists to Thailand have totaled 4.3 million this year.
  • •The tourism sector warns that one-way travel patterns impact airline cost-effectiveness.

Overview

  • •Chinese Premier Li Qiang is scheduled to visit Thailand from November 13-15, 2026, following an invitation from Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
  • •Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn suggests that the Thai government use the visit as a golden opportunity to negotiate the exchange of tourists between the two countries.
  • •The Thai Travel Agents Association notes that current discussion frameworks for the visit focus on AI technology, agriculture, and transnational crime rather than tourism.
  • •Tourism contributes nearly 20% of Thailand's total GDP.
  • •Over 3 million Thai tourists have traveled to China, with expectations to reach 4 million in 2027, while Chinese tourists to Thailand have reached 4.3 million this year.
  • •Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn warns that if travel remains primarily one-way from Thailand to China, it will affect the cost-effectiveness of airlines.
  • •Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn recommends that Thailand provide transparent data on safety and scammer countermeasures instead of attacking the concerns of Chinese diplomats.
  • •The Thai Travel Agents Association seeks a concrete move to attract high-end Chinese tourists to restore confidence in the industry.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Prachachat (Original)

Key Quotes

Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn
"In the past, we have faced negative news, most of which was false, affecting the number of tourists coming to Thailand."
ที่ผ่านมาเผชิญกับข่าวเชิงลบที่ส่วนใหญ่เป็นเรื่องเท็จ ส่งผลกระทบต่อจำนวนนักท่องเที่ยวที่เข้ามาเที่ยวไทย

Key Entities

Person

Li Qiang(หลี่ เฉียง)ℹ️
The Premier of the People's Republic of China who is scheduled to visit Thailand.
Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn(ธนพล ชีวรัตนพร)
The President of the Thai Travel Agents Association (ATTA).
Anutin Charnvirakul(อนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️
The Prime Minister of Thailand who invited Li Qiang to visit.

Organization

Thai Travel Agents Association (ATTA)(สมาคมไทยธุรกิจการท่องเที่ยว (แอตต้า))
A tourism business association advocating for tourist exchange negotiations with China.
Ministry of Tourism and Sports(กระทรวงการท่องเที่ยวและกีฬา)ℹ️
The government body that provided data on the number of Chinese tourists.
ASEAN(อาเซียน)ℹ️
A regional organization mentioned in the context of security and safety levels.

Place

Shenzhen(เซินเจิ้น)ℹ️
A city in China where a contract signing took place regarding AI technology cooperation.