As repeated cases of fraud, with tour companies ditching their clients, continue to ravage outbound tour businesses, the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) is calling for more effective laws to protect both businesses and consumers.
As a popular tourism destination, Thailand expects to welcome at least 25 million foreigners this year, with roughly 5 million from China, representing 50% of the Chinese visitor total in 2019.
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) expects 1 million Chinese tourists in the second quarter of this year, following positive signs of flight resumptions, while urging authorities to help regulate "zero-dollar" tours and illegal tour guides.
Tour operators are calling for tourism laws to be reformed to protect travel agents, not only customers, following an alleged Japan tour scam worth 14 million baht.
Holidays to South Korea have been thrown into upheaval after 67 Thai tourists filed complaints with the Tourism Department, urging tour operators to provide them with refunds of 1.4 million baht in total after entry into the country was denied.