An emphatic statement was recently made by Sudawan Wangsuphakitkosol, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism, regarding the safety of Chinese tourists in her nation. She made it clear that the hospitality extended to Chinese tourists in the country would not include enabling Chinese police to form part of the security detail. Sudawan’s faith unwaveringly lies in the proficiency of the Thai police, and she thinks that their presence will suffice in reassuring tourists, thus maintaining, if not increasing, the influx of Chinese tourists.
Her remarks were made during a briefing at the Government House, early in the morning, at around 9.20 am. The crux of the discussion was centred around a recently proposed suggestion by The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) intending to usher in Chinese police to supervise and safeguard Chinese tourists. Sudawan, however, was quick to debunk this proposition. According to her, the realm of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports does not encompass a policy that includes a collaborative practice between Chinese police and Thai police for the safety of Chinese tourists. Rather, the TAT has an array of methods to infuse trust and confidence among Chinese tourists – measures that do not include the assistance of Chinese police as a security measure in Thailand.
She further enlarged upon the reason behind this proposal, which can be traced back to unfortunate incidents that occurred in the past with some Chinese tourists. Nonetheless, in response to these incidents, the Minister for Tourism was unyielding in her stance, denying that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports had such a policy on the table. Counteracting these misgivings, she named several effective trust-building tactics for Chinese tourists, as outlined by KhaoSod.
Reflecting her unwavering faith in the local law enforcement, she declared, “The Thai police are skilled and highly capable. Every component of our law enforcement, be it the National Police Office or the Tourist Police, is dedicated and works tirelessly. They are perfectly capable of instilling confidence among tourists and ensuring their safety without impacting the number of Chinese tourists who will travel to Thailand.”
Sudawan also mentioned that the onus of protecting the tourist hotspots, such as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and other various piers, lay with the tourist police.
Meanwhile, the Association of Thai Travel Agents and the Tourism Council of Thailand have voiced a different perspective. Their opinion is to build the confidence of Chinese tourists through tour agents from the mainland itself. This return to a more hands-on approach, they believe, can ensure the safety of tourists.
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