Why the ‘White Lotus effect’ hasn’t returned tourists to this tropical paradise

WorldTravel
5 Jun 2025 • 9:34 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Thailand's foreign visitor numbers dropped for the fourth consecutive month in May, down 14 per cent to 2.6 million, after the government set high hopes for tourist numbers following the success of The White Lotus.
  • The number of Chinese tourists, who make up the largest proportion of visitors to Thailand, has fallen by nearly one million this year due to fears over scam centres on the Myanmar border, as well as a recent earthquake.
  • Flights booked from China between June and August show a 15 per cent decline compared to last year.
  • But there has been a rise in Western visitors, with US tourists increasing by 12 per cent.
  • The government reported a 20 per cent increase in tourists from the UK between January and May.

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