Thailand has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism-dependent economy shaken by severe border restrictions saw arrivals slowing to a near standstill. When borders began to open in 2021, the Kingdom saw just over 106,000 foreign tourists, a drop from 6.7 million in 2020. At its apex, Thailand drew as many as 40 million. Fast forward to 2023, the new Pheu Thai-led Srettha Thavisin has been hard at work attempting to lure the most lucrative tourist market back to Thailand – middle-class Chinese, who have stayed away in the aftermath of tourist scams that have tarnished the Kingdom’s reputation and the death of a Chinese mother of two in the Siam Paragon shopping mall shooting.
Mark Cogan
Mark S. Cogan is an Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.Categories
About Mark
Mark S. Cogan is a Associate Professor at Kansai Gaidai University based in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. He is a former communications specialist with the United Nations in Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.