BANGKOK - Thailand has launched the Sawasdee Nihao initiative, a series of events commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations with China, reinforcing strategic ties through tourism collaboration.
The initiative, spearheaded by Thailand's Tourism Authority on Thursday, aims to position the Southeast Asian country as a "quality destination," leveraging cultural soft power to create immersive, high-value visitor experiences while ensuring tourism supports balanced economic growth and environmental sustainability.
In an opening address, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra hailed the launch of the initiative as a new starting point for Thailand-China sustainable cooperation in tourism.
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She highlighted the importance of tourism as a vital bridge connecting the two nations, citing China as the top source of foreign visitors to Thailand, with 6.7 million arrivals recorded in 2024.
Paetongtarn attributed this success to the tourism promotion policies of both countries, which have facilitated cultural exchanges, strengthened friendships, and fostered genuine people-to-people connections.
Thailand aims to promote tourism as a national priority by improving service quality, convenience, and security to ensure that travelers have a seamless, safe, and enjoyable experience, she said.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the Thai government is focusing on the quality of tourism rather than just the quantity of visitors, aiming to cultivate strategic trust, facilitate two-way exchange, and build a resilient partnership network.
Thailand sends a clear message of readiness, hospitality, and long-term vision through the Sawasdee Nihao initiative, which honors friendship and paves the way for a new chapter of sustainable, high-impact tourism between the two sides, Sorawong said.
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He noted that this initiative employs an integrated push-pull model, bringing Chinese tour operators, airlines, media, and key opinion leaders to experience Thailand firsthand and enabling them to share their experiences with audiences back home.
