The cancellations were triggered by the disappearance of Chinese actor Wang Xing in a Thai town bordering Myanmar early this month. He was later rescued by Thai police from a scam center where he had been lured by human traffickers.
The recent high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in Thailand has dented the country’s appeal among tourists just weeks before China’s biggest annual holiday.
Some Chinese travelers are opting to stay away from Thailand for the eight-day Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Jan 28, due to safety concerns. Cancellations of flights from China to Thailand jumped 155% over the weekend compared to the same period last year, according to data from travel analytics firm ForwardKeys.
