Once hailed as the favorite vacation destination for Chinese tourists, Thailand is now frequently making headlines for negative news due to scams, extortion, and kidnapping cases. More and more tourists are discovering that behind the "Land of Smiles" lurks darkness, turning what was supposed to be a sunny holiday into a nightmare filled with constant fear.
In the past year, there have been over a hundred incidents involving Chinese citizens facing scams or violent events in Thailand, with major disaster areas concentrated in popular tourist cities such as Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai. Fake police, shady tour guides, and problematic taxis are rampant, and shockingly, some "uniformed individuals" are colluding with criminal gangs to participate in extortion.
By the end of 2024, a female student from Wuhan was arbitrarily taken away by the police in Chiang Mai under the pretext of "involvement in drugs" and extorted for 20,000 yuan. When she refused, she was beaten. After the incident was exposed, the involved police lightly described it as a "misunderstanding," and ultimately no one was held accountable.
In March 2025, a businessman from Guangdong went to Thailand to discuss investments but was kidnapped and murdered by individuals posing as immigration officers, with local scam gangs and retired police officers behind the scheme.
In Pattaya, a female tourist who entered a massage parlor was secretly filmed and extorted for 300,000 yuan, threatened with the public humiliation of "spreading obscene videos."
These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. More and more Chinese tourists in Thailand are becoming "prey," and corruption and regulatory failures leave victims with no recourse. Although Thai authorities repeatedly promise to ensure the safety of tourists, reality repeatedly betrays these assurances.
Analysts warn that if Thailand does not reform its law enforcement and tourism security systems, it will ultimately destroy its tourism image, and the "Tourism Capital of Asia" may become known among Chinese tourists as the "Country of Traps."
