The era of more than 10 million Chinese visitors a year to Thailand has passed, given safety concerns in the segment and ineffective law enforcement, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta).
Atta president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said the Thai tourism industry has not developed as it should over the past four years when compared with other nations.
The lack of new supply and poor management of existing supply has led to stagnant growth opportunities, he said.
The situation worsened due to negative sentiment over safety and security, said Mr Sisdivachr, who has served as president of Atta for four years.
"We're too dependent on old resources and charms without working to maintain their quality or develop new attractions, unlike China, Japan and Vietnam, where tourists flock because of fresh attractions and new investments," he said.
Thailand is unlikely to attract 10 million arrivals from China, the tally in 2019, unless the country can restore traveller confidence concerning safety, said Mr Sisdivachr.
He said negative sentiment regarding cyber-scams remains abundant on Chinese social media platforms, discouraging prospective travellers from visiting Thailand.
As China aggressively develops new attractions and improves its public facilities in an effort to lure domestic and international tourists, fewer Chinese are visiting Thailand, said Mr Sisdivachr.
Even the government target of 8 million Chinese arrivals this year is difficult, as Atta predicts 7 million, up from 6.7 million in 2024, he said.
Without tremendous growth of the Chinese market, the total number of foreign arrivals might not reach 39 million this year, which the government is targeting, according to Atta.
Mr Sisdivachr said the Thai tourism industry has lost many opportunities over the past four years due to weak law enforcement, paving the way for illegal foreign businesses to reap benefits and allowing local crime to spread.
Regarding the government's plan to establish an entertainment complex, he said he tentatively agreed with the idea, but the government should carefully consider whether it is necessary to add a casino as a component.
Based on discussions with Chinese officials, Mr Sisdivachr said they expressed concerns about gambling causing problems among tourists.
Without stringent regulations, the project could cause harm or even facilitate money laundering, he said.
Moreover, there should be only one or two entertainment complexes, with one in Bangkok and another in a major tourism destination as they already have developed infrastructure, said Mr Sisdivachr.
Looking towards the next general election in 2027, he said political parties should prioritise the tourism industry in their economic policies, noting it is disappointing none featured tourism policies during the last campaign.
