Thai Government Joins Hands with Chinese Embassy to Launch “Sawasdee Nihao” Campaign Aiming to Reestablish Thailand as a Quality Destination for Chinese Tourists

(May 29, 2025) — Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra  presided over the official launch of the “Sawasdee Nihao” campaign, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. Held from May 28 to June 1, 2025, the campaign underscores Thailand’s readiness to attract Chinese tourists and promote the country as a quality, safe, and welcoming destination. It reinforces the positioning of Thailand as a “Quality Destination” through five core activities involving marketing promotion, business negotiations, and immersive experiences for Chinese tourists and businesses. It also aims to foster long-term cooperation through two-way tourism, building mutual confidence and encouraging sustainable travel exchanges.

Prime Minister  Paetongtarn Shinawatra stated that tourism has served as a vital bridge strengthening the deep ties between Thailand and China, supported by proactive policies from both governments. The Thai government is committed to enhancing travel facilitation measures, upgrading infrastructure, and intensifying safety measures in tourist areas while leveraging technology to ensure the safety of lives and property. The government also plans to support the development of new man-made tourist destinations to continuously attract visitors. The “Sawasdee Nihao” campaign marks the beginning of a sustainable tourism promotion pathway, aiming to guarantee that every step Chinese and international tourists take in Thailand is filled with happiness, comfort, and genuine safety.

Minister of Tourism and Sports, Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, noted that the government is focused on promoting sustainable and high-quality tourism that benefits all sectors. Emphasis is placed on restructuring the industry towards “Value over Volume.” The “Sawasdee Nihao” campaign represents the starting point of long-term collaboration, building confidence, fostering business opportunities, and enhancing the tourism image of both nations. It reflects Thailand’s strong commitment to redefining its tourism image in the Chinese market and strengthening ties with Chinese partners to co-create meaningful and sustainable travel routes.

The “Sawasdee Nihao” campaign, held from May 28 to June 1, 2025, is designed to rebrand Thailand as a safe, high-quality, and friendly destination, boosting Chinese tourists’ confidence in traveling. The initiative brings 400 Chinese travel agents, 200 media representatives and KOLs to Thailand for immersive travel experiences and a business-matching event involving over 500 Thai operators. It aims to reach over 350 million media impressions and facilitate more than 5,000 business meetings. The campaign was inaugurated by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Mr. Han Zhiqiang, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand. The opening ceremony featured keynote addresses from Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol and Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who introduced the “Bangkok We Are OK” initiative to promote Bangkok’s readiness to welcome tourists. The event took place on May 29, 2025, at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre CentralWorld in Bangkok.

The five main activities of the “Sawasdee Nihao” campaign include:

1. Table Top Sales – Business negotiations between Thai and Chinese tourism operators, bringing together around 300 companies and 400 buyers from more than 25–30 provinces across both major and secondary Chinese cities. They will connect with 500 Thai sellers in the tourism industry.

2. Tourism Forum (G2G level) — Building confidence and reinforcing Thailand’s role as a “Quality Destination”

3. Welcome Reception – A formal reception for Chinese tour operators, media, KOLs, and Thai tourism businesses to strengthen impressions and highlight the readiness of Thailand while commemorating the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese diplomatic relations.

On May 30–31, 2025, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), together with industry partners, will host:

4. Agent & Media Mega Fam Trip – Site inspections and product testing tours for Chinese travel agents (AET) and Chinese KOLs/media (MET). The destinations include Bangkok, Chonburi (Pattaya), Rayong, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, and Ayutthaya, as well as other promising locations tailored for the Chinese market.

5. Sawasdee Nihao: A Celebration of Thai-China Relations (Celebrities Marketing) – Rebranding Thailand using influential Chinese celebrities to share positive stories and spark travel inspiration via mainstream media.

Despite a slowdown in the Chinese travel market, with 1,909,862 Chinese tourists visiting Thailand between January 1 – May 27, 2025, the TAT remains proactive with aggressive market strategies. These include accelerating charter flight initiatives—projected to increase by 52% in 2025—with strong growth seen in Beijing (+26%), Shanghai (+117%), and Chengdu (+164%).

Additional plans include a nationwide PR campaign in China to encourage Chinese tourists to share their Thai travel experiences on social media, generating user-generated content between May and July 2025. This will strengthen travel confidence and culminate in a major “Nihao Month” celebration during the Mid-Autumn Festival and China's National Day Golden Week in October. Activities will include mega fam trips, joint promotions with online travel platforms, shopping malls, and restaurants offering special deals, and celebrity marketing to further entice tourists.

The five TAT offices across China will continue rolling out image-enhancing activities to generate a positive narrative about Thai tourism. These efforts aim to expand awareness in secondary cities, attract high-quality tourist segments such as young travelers, incentive and family groups, golf tourists, and active seniors, for both FIT (Free Independent Travelers) and group tours. The campaign will also involve joint promotions with travel agencies, airlines, and hotels, serving as a catalyst to help Thailand achieve its 2025 tourism target for the Chinese market.

 

Source:

Tourism Authority of Thailand