Jitters over Thai kidnapping cases

THE cooler and less humid weather in Bangkok from November to February is usually the best time to visit, and with Chinese New Year around the corner, the City of Angels usually braces for a larger than usual influx of tourists from China.

Strangely though, the opposite seems to be happening, as I found out during my trip to Thailand’s capital this week.

Meeting with a group of Thai friends for dinner, I assumed that we would talk about former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s recent appointment as advisor to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean.

However, even though my Thai friends have strong opinions about Thaksin (and this is usually divided), all they could talk about was the recent kidnappings involving Chinese nationals and the huge backlash this has caused.

To recap, Chinese actor Wang Xing was kidnapped at the Thai border city of Mae Sot, but was subsequently rescued from a scam compound in Myanmar.

This was followed by the disappearance of two more Chinese nationals – a male model and a woman – a week later, after their relatives sought help.

The Royal Thai Police Office (RTPO) is now actively investigating the two who went missing near the Thai-Myanmar border.

This recent wave of kidnapping cases in Thailand has led to the cancellation of chartered flights from China, with tour agencies having to field requests from travellers who have postponed or scrapped their plans to visit.

According to the Bangkok Post, celebrities like veteran singer Maria Cordero have raised security concerns for Chinese citizens travelling to Thailand while Hong Kong pop star Eason Chan cancelled a sold-out concert scheduled to take place in Bangkok next month.

Zhao Benshan, a popular comedian, also postponed an appearance next month.

These kidnappings are a blow to Thailand’s tourism sector ahead of the peak Lunar New Year holiday.

Nearly seven million Chinese nationals travelled to Thailand in 2024, making them the largest group of international visitors, but public opinion has been swayed.

On Weibo, a Chinese social media outlet, people discussed travel refunds and whether Thailand was safe, using hashtags that have risen in popularity on the platform.

This anxiety could complicate Thailand’s efforts to revitalise its tourism sector after the pandemic.This week, the Cabinet approved changes to the nation’s visa rules to make it more attractive for skilled professionals, investors and wealthy foreigners to secure long-term residency permits.This is already in addition to easing visa requirements for Chinese travellers.

The Thai government has vowed to ensure the safety of tourists and stepped up security to restore flagging Chinese confidence. But their measures could be a case of too little too late as the public outcry has also made potential visitors from Malaysia and Singapore jittery.

A viral video circulating on WhatsApp calls on “Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese” not to visit Thailand for now as they would be targeted by fraud and abduction gangs.

The video claims that these types of tourists are being targeted to be forcibly taken by syndicates to “scam cities” at the Thai-Myanmar borders where they will be put to work. The accusation in this video is that Chinese nationals themselves are running these scam cities.

Chinese-speaking individuals are much sought after to work in call centres in these border areas because of Mandarin proficiency.

The accusation is that security personnel, including the army and police, from both countries, are complicit in these nefarious activities.

The claims in the viral video are unverified, but ironically, this whole fiasco could actually help Malaysia achieve its tourism targets.

Our stated aim for this year, ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026, is to get five million Chinese tourists.

With confidence in the effectiveness of Thai counter measures badly shaken, the Chinese tourist numbers might fall by 10-20% during the upcoming Lunar New Year and beyond, and this could lead to a greater influx of China visitors to Malaysia.

Negative news widely spread and discussed in China has already had an adverse effect.

The easing for visa requirements for Chinese citizens will also play a key role in encouraging them to visit Malaysia.

But tourists’ safety, while a key factor for travel, will not be enough.

It is up to our government and the tourism industry to come up with newer, better products to attract visitors from the mainland.

If these stakeholders develop new attractions with improved standards, Malaysia will be in a better position to entice international visitors, China included.