Fresh flowers, banners displaying welcoming messages, and a group of officials and local tourism operators greeted two Chinese tourist groups when they stepped into Bangkok, Thailand, on February 6.
After a three-year COVID-19-induced break, China resumed outbound group travel to 20 countries, including Thailand, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and New Zealand, on February 6.
These first two groups of travelers to Thailand, from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in south China, were welcomed at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport by officials from the Thai tourism authority and the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, among others. One banner at the airport read, “Welcome, my dear Chinese jiarenmen!” Jiarenmen is a Chinese online buzzword, mainly used by young people to greet their family members or close friends. The groups, each of around 20 tourists, visited the country for six days, first touring Bangkok before relaxing at a southern seaside resort.
The move came after the country downgraded its management of COVID-19 from that of a Class
