Over 200 Chinese Business Leaders Visit Thailand, Celebrating the 49th Anniversary of China-Thailand Diplomatic Relations China and Thailand Move Forward to Upgrade Cultural and Tourism Industries, Gathering of Gurus from Both Countries to Attend the China-Thailand Cultural Tourism Industry Summit
Pictured: Ms. Pansy Ho, Vice President of China Federation of Industry and Commerce (Center), Mr. Chattan Kunchorn Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing in Asia and South Pacific, Tourism Authority of Thailand (4th from left), Mr. Jakraphol Tangsuthitham, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports (5th from left), Ms. Ploy Thanikul, Assistant Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand (4th from right), and Ms. Han Zhiqiang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand (5th from right).
Bangkok, Thailand – Ms. Pansy Ho, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Industry and Commerce, President of the Tourism Economy Research Center, and Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Tourism Economy Forum, as the head of a delegation of industry leaders from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, led over 200 delegates to Bangkok, Thailand on July 1-2, 2024, to celebrate the 49th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand under the “Ni Hao! China” outbound tourism promotion campaign of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China.
The visit of the Chinese business leaders to Thailand this time was officially organized by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, China Tourism Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Chamber of Commerce of China, and supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association. It is an important event to promote deeper exchanges between the two economies and to continue the shared vision of President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Settha Thavisin from the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China in 2023, in which the two leaders firmly affirmed the principle that “Thailand and China are as close as one family”, with solidarity and tangible results in cooperation, leveraging innovations in various industries between China and Thailand. And it stimulated people’s attention to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand bilateral relations in 2025. In March 2024, the visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand came into effect, ushering in a “visa-free era”, resulting in a surge in “two-way tourism” among Chinese and Thai tourists visiting each other’s countries, greatly boosting the economic growth of both countries. The Thai Minister of Sports and Tourism estimated that Thailand will attract more than 8 million Chinese tourists in 2024, with consumption spending of more than 320 billion baht.
The highlight of the Chinese delegation’s visit to Thailand was the holding of the “China-Thailand Cultural Tourism Industry Summit” at the Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai, Bangkok, Thailand on July 1st. This was where leaders from various sectors across mainland China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Macao Special Administrative Region met and exchanged in-depth views with representatives of the Thai government and the cultural tourism industry and trade sectors. It also served as a business matching platform for leaders in the two countries’ cultural tourism sectors to hold face-to-face discussions and promote the joint development of the China-Thailand cultural tourism industry, to integrate resources, and create new and attractive cultural tourism products.
The summit was attended by dignitaries such as Pansy Ho, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Industry and Commerce, President of the Tourism Economics Research Center and Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Tourism Economics Forum; Chakrapol Tangsuthitham, Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports; Ploy Thanikul, Assistant Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand; Han Zhiqiang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand (China); Edison Chen, Vice Chairman of Trip.com Group; Chattan Kunchorn Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing in Asia and South Pacific; Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mr. Ji Xiaodong, President of the China Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Peter Semone, President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Mr. William Ellwood Heinecke, Chairman and Chairman of the Management Committee of Minor International Public Company Limited and many other distinguished guests.
During the summit, many influential business participants held in-depth discussions on topics such as the latest trends, investment opportunities and channels to strengthen the win-win, interconnected and integrated development of China-Thailand cultural tourism industry, the investment opportunities and development potential of Thailand’s cultural tourism industry, and most importantly, achieving win-win cooperation for both economies.
Edison Chen, Vice President of Trip.com Group, gave an assessment of the China-Thailand cultural tourism market space in the context of visa-free entry, noting that Trip.com figures show that Thai tourists visiting China have increased by more than 160% since 2019. These exchanges provide opportunities for development in various sectors across China and Thailand, and lay a solid foundation for further prosperity in bilateral relations.
Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for International Marketing, Asia and the South Pacific, Tourism Authority of Thailand, presented the results of the latest industry trends survey, based on data collected by the Tourism Authority of Thailand on Chinese tourists visiting Thailand during the visa-free era. He gave an assessment of the overall tourism market in Thailand and highlighted high potential areas for development, investment opportunities for incubating new cultural tourism products tailored to a diverse group of tourists. After the meeting, the 200 delegates also visited Bangkok, including ICONSIAM, a major commercial development located in the heart of Bangkok, providing an in-depth look at the dynamics of Thailand’s trade sector and new practices and mutual learning in the retail sector of consumer goods. They also visited the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) headquarters to discuss topics such as regional tourism cooperation and cultural exchange. The delegation also visited Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate. Home to many important Thai and international companies, the estate is also an important industrial hub for Thailand and the Southeast Asian region. The event concluded with a Sichuan-style hot pot dinner with representatives of Thailand from various circles, marking the successful conclusion of the visit to Thailand in a lively and auspicious atmosphere.
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