Thailand, land of insecurity undermined by the underworld? The kingdom’s image among the Chinese is suffering from the success of a blockbuster and rumors on social networks, which penalize the recovery of the country, dependent on tourism. Released in August, No More Bets (The Games Are Made, previously unreleased in France), a Chinese film directed by Ao Shen, garnered more than $520 million in revenue in China. The story, presented as inspired by “true events”, is that of a young couple trapped in a Southeast Asian country after being kidnapped by a gang in Thailand.
Very bad publicity for the kingdom, whose growth is suffering from the difficulties of the tourism sector (around 20% of GDP) in returning to its pre-pandemic level. In 2019, the country welcomed 40 million visitors, including around 11 million Chinese. There have only been 2.3 million since the start of the year, out of 19 million in total.
The success of the film and the numerous viral publications on social networks warning of the risks of being kidnapped and sent to neighboring Burma or Cambodia by mafia networks in the region will not help. Faced with the phenomenon, the Thai government will launch a test program on September 25 to allow the entry of Chinese tourists without a visa.
“Our parents tried to persuade us not to come here because it wouldn’t be safe,” said Jia Xueqiong, a Chinese tourist visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok. This 44-year-old nurse overcame the disapproval of those close to her. “All my friends told me: You go explore first, and if everything is OK, we’ll join you,” she says. Some stories “are exaggerated,” recognizes Leanna Qian, a 22-year-old student met by AFP in Beijing. But, if she went to Thailand, “I fear that I would be taken to a neighboring country against my will,” she adds.
“We are innocent, it’s unfair,” proclaims Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents. Faced with the multiplication of rumors, which had started before the release of the film, the Thai embassy in Beijing published a press release at the beginning of the year affirming that “measures are being taken to ensure the safety of visitors”.
Cambodia is suffering even more from bad publicity, according to the president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, Chhay Sivlin, who is calling on Beijing for help. “The Chinese listen to their government,” she hopes.
However, the reluctance of Chinese tourists to go abroad also finds its origin in the poor health of the Chinese economy and in local tour operators who, since Covid, have developed travel offers within the country. It will take time for people to get used to traveling abroad, said Gary Bowerman, director of travel and tourism consultancy Check-in Asia. When people leave the country, “they start to hear about these scams (…) It has a psychological impact. Meanwhile, domestic travel is booming, especially for young people, who see it as a good alternative to international travel,” he explains.
At a Beijing travel agency that declined to be identified, advertising screens broadcast messages promoting local destinations. The agency employed 200 people before the pandemic but today there are only a few dozen. The cause is economic deterioration, difficulties in obtaining visas and the slow resumption of air traffic.
“There is not much desire to go abroad,” an employee, Guo, told AFP, who asked to be used only by one first name. And, she adds, for Southeast Asia, “there is also the fear of leaving and never coming back.” In front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Jia Xueqiong brushes aside the fears of many of his fellow citizens. “It’s not like what’s said on the internet, scams or the like,” she said. There’s nothing like it.”
