Photo courtesy of Benar News
After 26 years of catering to Chinese tourists, a tour guide finds himself amid a revolution as travellers from Taiwan, India, and beyond take centre stage.
Thailand, hopeful for a Chinese tourism resurgence post-pandemic, faces an unexpected plot twist as a surge of Taiwanese visitors, in particular, reshapes the narrative. Saichon Chounchou now handles a 20-person group of Taiwanese tourists.
“Now my clients are Taiwanese. They are regular clients and generate revenue for many local communities as opposed to many Chinese on a zero-dollar tour.”
Zero-dollar tourism, a longstanding bane in Thailand, involves Chinese tour companies steering visitors exclusively to Chinese-run establishments, depriving local businesses of potential earnings. In contrast, Saichon’s Taiwanese group opts for opulence, staying in a five-star…
