The Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes Chinese tourists will splurge more than 4 billion baht in the country during their Golden Week running through Wednesday.
About 160,000 visitors from China are expected during this long holiday and they could inject 4.3 billion baht into the Thai economy, deputy TAT governor Srisuda Wanapinyosak said in the Matichon newspaper.
The Golden Week gives the Chinese an opportunity to return home for a family union or travel in the country or aboard. The TAT estimated 100 million Chinese citizens planned overseas trips during the week-long period. Their favourite destinations in Thailand include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Koh Samui.
Prapas Inthanapasat of the TAT office in Surat Thani told the Bangkok Post about 2,000 tourists from China have arrived on the resort island since Thursday, most of them through the airports on Koh Samui and mainland Surat Thani. Chaweng beach was their top place to stay, he added.
Many snorkelling and diving programmes in Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan were fully booked by the Chinese, he said.
Wisut Buachum of the TAT office in Chiang Mai said Rout 3A from southern China to northern Thailand through northern Laos and the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Chiang Khong district in Chiang Rai province, gave them another option besides direct and connecting flights to Chiang Mai.
Thailand is on course to break the target of 28 million tourists this year after the figures from the beginning of this year to Sept 17 reached 21 million. The Chinese are predicted to be the largest group, at 7 million.
The Golden Week marks the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.