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(Text/Wang Yong Editor/Zhao Qiankun)

According to Thailand's The Nation newspaper on August 11, the number of tourists from Thailand to South Korea has declined for seven consecutive months due to South Korea's previous implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorization system (K-ETA).

Thai tourists have launched a boycott of South Korea on social media, dubbed "Ban Korea," accusing it of having an overly restrictive entry policy and encouraging Thais to explore other destinations such as China, Vietnam and Japan.

According to Nikkei Asia, South Korea previously stipulated that travel to South Korea requires approval from the Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) system, and the system often refuses entry to travelers from Thailand because a large number of illegal immigrants in South Korea come from Thailand. Therefore, South Korea can only seek a balance between attracting tourists and controlling the source of illegal immigrants. However, frequent rejections have caused Thai tourists to turn to countries such as China, where entry procedures are more simplified and convenient.

The report said that South Korea's electronic travel authorization system has received a large number of complaints from Thai travelers and has fueled anti-Korean sentiment in Thailand. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea requested the Ministry of Justice to abandon the policy of requiring Thai citizens to register for K-ETA before the end of this year to attract more Thai tourists and help the country achieve its goal of 20 million international tourists entering the country this year. However, this request was rejected by the Ministry of Justice of South Korea on the grounds that Thai people still account for the largest proportion of illegal immigrants in South Korea.

The Korea Herald reported that the number of Thai tourists coming to South Korea is decreasing, but their interest in traveling to China is increasing. Currently, other Asian countries competing with South Korea for tourism are benefiting from this. "South Korea's tourism industry lost to Japan before, and now it's losing to China."

The Tourism Authority of Thailand predicts that as many as 1.2 million Thai tourists may visit China this year after China implemented visa-free entry for Thai citizens, Thailand's The Nation newspaper previously reported.

Guancha.com learned that in response to the growing demand for tourism to China, Thai Airways has increased its flights to China from 7 to 11 per week, especially adding flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Yunnan. From October 2023 to May 2024, the total number of flights between China and Thailand is 55,000, an increase of 213% over the same period last year. It is expected that the total number of flights between China and Thailand in 2024 will reach 86,000, an increase of 126% throughout the year.

In early August this year, the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand announced that there are currently four major routes between China and Thailand, including the Thailand-Macau-Hong Kong route, which accounts for about 60% of all flights between China and Thailand. In addition, new routes between China and Thailand will be opened in 2026, and the number of flights is expected to increase by 100,000, reaching a total of 200,000 per year.

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