At the beginning of 2025, Thailand's tourism industry faced severe challenges, encountering an epic cold snap. During the Spring Festival golden week, the number of visitors to the Grand Palace in Bangkok plummeted by 72% compared to the same period last year, while stallholders at the Chiang Mai night market joked that "now there are more mosquitoes than tourists."
Meanwhile, Thailand's government fiscal deficit has sharply increased, reaching a peak not seen in nearly a decade, with a tourism revenue shortfall of 48 billion Thai Baht (about 10 billion RMB). The Thai tourism industry, once jokingly referred to as "Thai Imperial Concubine" by Chinese tourists, is now facing tremendous survival pressure.
"Thai Hardcore Operation": Power Cut to Pressure Myanmar
Facing the severe plight of the tourism industry, the Thai government chose an extreme "hardcore operation" to seek self-rescue. On February 5, 2025, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Putan ordered the cutting off of power supply at five points along the Thai-Myanmar border, while also stopping fuel and network supplies. This move immediately sparked widespread attention and discussion, but whether this power cut was a self-rescue strategy by the Thai government or a "blame-shifting drama" remains a question.
This "power cut operation" was clearly not accidental. As early as 2024, the Thai tourism industry began to show some unfavorable trends. Although the number of Chinese tourists rebounded to 2.7 million in 2024, their average spending decreased by 30%.
The trend of "budget travel check-ins" by young tourists replaced the luxurious "shopping tours" of the past, and the Thai government's promoted "night economy" policy (such as bars operating until 4 AM) increased the income of Bangkok nightclubs by 44%, but also exacerbated security risks. After a shooting incident in Bangkok in 2024, the cancellation rate among Chinese tourists surged by 58%.
Effects of the Power Cut Operation: Short-term Impact and Long-term Concerns
The "power cut kill" in Thailand seems to have achieved some short-term effects. 90% of the electricity in Myanmar's Myawaddy region depends on Thailand, and on the first day of the power cut, local bitcoin mining rigs of scam groups collectively paralyzed, reducing scam calls by 47%. However, Myanmar's counterattack was swift and effective—just 24 hours later, Myawaddy restored 90% of its power supply through purchases from Laos, and the Thai Chiang Rai border remained "brightly lit" at night.
This "power supply drama" exposed the failure of Thailand's long-term "appeasement policy"—Thailand earns 2 billion Thai Baht annually by selling electricity to Myanmar, but turns a blind eye to criminal activities within Myanmar.
Moreover, while Deputy Prime Minister Putan cut off power to Myanmar on one hand, he urgently dispatched 2,000 soldiers to seal the border and conducted large-scale searches under the name of "drug enforcement" on the other.
However, the results were shocking—the seized drugs were found to flow 90% into Thailand's local entertainment venues. Netizens on Thai tourism forums sharply commented: "This is not fighting crime, it's clearly putting on a show for Chinese tourists!"
Remedial Measures by the Thai Tourism Authority: "False Advertising" and Numerous Mistakes
The response measures by the Thai Tourism Authority were laughable. To regain tourists' confidence, the authority launched a Chinese version of the "Safe Travel APP," but it was tested to have a positioning error of up to 500 meters; it claimed "special police patrols at attractions all day," yet tourists captured police bargaining for mango sticky rice at stalls.
Moreover, netizens on Chinese social platforms questioned: "Even Myanmar scam artists can use Thai electricity, why should we believe in safety?" The comments section under the Thai Tourism Authority's "Safe Travel" promotional video has been overwhelmed.
Data from January 2025 showed that the occupancy rate of flights from China to Thailand was less than 40%, and many travel agencies have downgraded Thai routes from "hot sellers" to "clearance sales."
More fatally, Generation Z Chinese tourists are increasingly turning to other emerging destinations, such as Vietnam's Phu Quoc Island and Indonesia's Togean Islands, which not only offer better value for money but also introduce innovative services like "security compensation insurance."
Can the "Power Cut" Save Thailand's Tourism Industry?
The Thai government's "power cut kill" seems not to have achieved the expected results. Although this measure temporarily struck at scam activities within Myanmar, it also directly led to a sharp decrease in border trade volume, with a single-day loss of up to 800 million Thai Baht.
Moreover, relations between Thailand and Myanmar have become more tense, with topics like "boycott Thai cosmetics" trending on Myanmar's social platforms, and Thai durian exporters receiving three cancellation orders from Myanmar.
However, what might truly help Thailand out of its predicament could be a set of comparative data: in 2024, the repurchase rate of Chinese tourists in Vietnam's Da Nang reached 38%, while in Thailand's Phuket it was only 12%. While Thailand still uses the old tactics of "visa exemption + night markets" to attract tourists, Vietnam has already launched "digital nomad visas + AI customized routes" and provides Chinese tourists with a 24-hour WeChat payment dispute arbitration channel. These innovative service models put more competitive pressure on Thailand's tourism industry.
A tourism economy without safety guarantees is like a palace built on quicksand—no matter how spectacular the light show, it cannot cover the shadows in the tourists' hearts.
