BANGKOK: The Thai government attaches great importance to Chinese tourists and has launched a series of safety measures tailored for them, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports Wanida Phansad told Xinhua on Wednesday (Oct 22).
At a joint meeting on ensuring Chinese tourists' safety held in Bangkok, Wanida said the country has a network of 79 tourist service centres providing support to Chinese-speaking tourists. Tourists in distress may also call the 1155 Tourist Police hotline or log into the Thai Tourist Police app to report any emergencies.
The official said Thailand has installed multiple surveillance cameras at major tourist attractions, and will roll out travel insurance plans for foreign tourists, she said.
During the meeting, representatives from various Thai departments, including the Tourist Police Bureau, the Immigration Bureau and the Airport Authority, said they will work to enhance security for Chinese tourists and improve the country's image as a safe tourist destination.
Wu Jian, minister-counselor and consul general of the Chinese embassy in Thailand, said he hopes that the Thai side will further strengthen security and introduce more targeted facilitation measures for Chinese tourists.
China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Thailand to attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand, Wu said.
According to data from Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports, about 3.42 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in the first nine months of this year. - Xinhua
