Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) kicked off Chinese-New-Year celebrations on 14 February with the launch of the “Zhong Tai Yi Jia Qin—China and Thailand Are One Family” campaign. The multi-city promotion bundles airfare, hotels, shopping vouchers and attraction passes into time-limited packages that are being flash-sold on leading Chinese OTAs such as Qunar, Fliggy and Klook. Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road, Chiang Mai’s Night Market and Phuket’s Old Town have been festooned with bilingual signage and lantern installations, while Thai Airways is adding 18 charter flights on Shanghai-Bangkok and Guangzhou-Phuket sectors to soak up demand.
The initiative comes at a strategic moment: China’s week-long Spring-Festival holiday (17-25 Feb) is forecast by the National Immigration Administration to produce record outbound volumes. Thailand, which restored 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals on 1 January, is targeting 8 million Chinese arrivals in 2026—roughly 80 percent of its pre-pandemic peak. TAT expects 241,000 Chinese visitors just during the New-Year fortnight, injecting an estimated ฿9 billion (US$250 million) into local economies.
Travel planners looking to capitalise on the simplified entry rules can still benefit from expert guidance: VisaHQ’s China office (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time updates on Thai immigration policies, validates travel documentation for mixed-nationality groups, and expedites any ancillary permits needed for onward ASEAN trips. The digital platform’s combination of local couriers and 24/7 support helps both corporate travellers and holidaymakers sidestep paperwork snags and focus on enjoying Thailand.
![Thailand Launches “Zhong Tai Yi Jia Qin” Campaign to Court Chinese New-Year Travelers]()
For Thai businesses, Chinese tourists are high-value patrons who spend 30 percent more per capita than the average visitor, according to Kasikorn Research. Duty-free giant King Power has rolled out extra tax-refund counters and Alipay terminals, while Bangkok malls are extending opening hours for night-shopping events. Provincial airports in Chiang Mai and Krabi have set up Mandarin-speaking volunteer desks to smooth arrivals.
Corporate mobility managers should note that hotel availability in primary cities is already below 30 percent for the peak holiday weekend; dynamic pricing is driving room rates 40–60 percent higher than January averages. Companies scheduling project kick-offs or incentive trips in Thailand should lock in inventory quickly or shift dates to early March.
In the medium term, the enhanced tourism partnership is expected to accelerate negotiations on a long-delayed Thailand–China mutual visa-exemption agreement—something that would further streamline business travel and MICE movements between the two economies.
The initiative comes at a strategic moment: China’s week-long Spring-Festival holiday (17-25 Feb) is forecast by the National Immigration Administration to produce record outbound volumes. Thailand, which restored 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals on 1 January, is targeting 8 million Chinese arrivals in 2026—roughly 80 percent of its pre-pandemic peak. TAT expects 241,000 Chinese visitors just during the New-Year fortnight, injecting an estimated ฿9 billion (US$250 million) into local economies.
Travel planners looking to capitalise on the simplified entry rules can still benefit from expert guidance: VisaHQ’s China office (https://www.visahq.com/china/) provides real-time updates on Thai immigration policies, validates travel documentation for mixed-nationality groups, and expedites any ancillary permits needed for onward ASEAN trips. The digital platform’s combination of local couriers and 24/7 support helps both corporate travellers and holidaymakers sidestep paperwork snags and focus on enjoying Thailand.
For Thai businesses, Chinese tourists are high-value patrons who spend 30 percent more per capita than the average visitor, according to Kasikorn Research. Duty-free giant King Power has rolled out extra tax-refund counters and Alipay terminals, while Bangkok malls are extending opening hours for night-shopping events. Provincial airports in Chiang Mai and Krabi have set up Mandarin-speaking volunteer desks to smooth arrivals.
Corporate mobility managers should note that hotel availability in primary cities is already below 30 percent for the peak holiday weekend; dynamic pricing is driving room rates 40–60 percent higher than January averages. Companies scheduling project kick-offs or incentive trips in Thailand should lock in inventory quickly or shift dates to early March.
In the medium term, the enhanced tourism partnership is expected to accelerate negotiations on a long-delayed Thailand–China mutual visa-exemption agreement—something that would further streamline business travel and MICE movements between the two economies.
