Thailand wins big.

Chinese tourists take photos on an overpass in Bangkok in 2024. Photo: Reuters .

Resorts in Pattaya are almost fully booked, while restaurants in Bangkok are bustling, and appointments to visit the Louis Vuitton pop-up "hotel" in the Thai capital are all reserved.

These positive signals reflect a clear recovery in Thai tourism targeting the Chinese market as the Lunar New Year holiday concludes, according to SCMP .

Since the beginning of January, more than 30,000 Chinese tourists have been arriving in Thailand daily. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts that during the February 13-22 holiday period, there will be approximately 241,000 Chinese visitors, bringing the total from the beginning of 2026 to over one million.

A number of Chinese content creators have been invited to promote their services, targeting multi-generational families and young travelers who prefer independent travel over traditional tours.

Last month, Thailand also launched its biggest tourism promotion campaign ever, featuring Lisa, the Thai member of the K-pop group BlackPink.

Tourism ambassador Lisa at the campaign launch ceremony held on January 28th at Wat Arun Ratchawararam temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: The Nation Thailand .

Although official figures on tourist numbers during the Lunar New Year holiday have not yet been released, businesses report positive market signals. Boonanant Pattanasin, advisor to the President of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, told This Week in Asia that tourist numbers have increased significantly compared to last year.

In areas popular with Chinese tourists, occupancy rates reached 75-80%, primarily driven by independent travelers (FIT) and family groups. He emphasized that the Chinese market remains "key" to this eastern resort city.

On the RedNote (Xiaohongshu) platform, numerous posts circulated images of New Year's fireworks at Iconsiam shopping mall and a Louis Vuitton pop-up store in Bangkok's Chinatown. In reality, this is a store that requires reservations, but it attracts a large number of Chinese customers.

However, some have complained about the impact of the strong baht, arguing that it diminishes Thailand's image as an affordable destination in Southeast Asia. "Prices in Thailand are now almost catching up to Singapore," one user commented.

Tourists gather in large numbers in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand. Photo: Reuters.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, last year the number of Chinese tourists decreased by nearly 30%, to about 4.5 million. This year, the country aims to recover to over 6 million visitors.

Recently, diplomatic tensions between China and Japan have increased, with Beijing advising its citizens to limit travel to the country. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, a representative of the Sustainable Tourism Development Fund, stated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan has decreased by 60% since the beginning of the year.

According to him, this decline could become a turning point in Japan's tourism policy, shifting the focus to segment-specific management and prioritizing "value over quantity," a direction that TAT is also pursuing.

However, he noted that it remains to be seen which country will be more successful in this transition.