China is seeking to increase the number of scheduled flights to Thailand
China-Thailand Flights: Scheduled Airlines in 2025
Thailand is one of the most important international travel destinations for Chinese tourists. Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya consistently rank at the top of Chinese outbound travel lists. Understanding the flight connection between the two countries, and what drives demand, is useful context for any tourism operator working this market.
Airlines flying scheduled routes from China to Thailand include:
- Thai Airways
- Bangkok Airways
- China Southern Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- Air China
- Hainan Airlines
- Spring Airlines
- Cathay Pacific (via Hong Kong)
- Singapore Airlines (via Singapore)
- Qatar Airways (via Doha)
- Emirates (via Dubai)
- Japan Airlines (via Tokyo)
- Korean Air (via Seoul)
- AirAsia (low-cost)
- Scoot (low-cost)
Direct flights operate from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket. Connecting options through Hong Kong, Singapore, and Doha fill in the rest.
4 Key Numbers on Chinese Tourists in Thailand (2019-2025)
- In 2019, Thailand welcomed 11 million Chinese tourists, making China the largest source of foreign visitors by far.
- By mid-2023, Chinese arrivals recovered to over 2 million, with strong growth continuing into 2024.
- Chinese tourists are consistently among the top spenders in Thailand, contributing disproportionately to retail, dining, and luxury experiences.
- The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) proposed increasing scheduled flights from 3 per week to 15 per week as part of its post-pandemic recovery push. That number has since grown further.
Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand and CAAC data
7 Trends for Chinese Tourists in Thailand (2025)
- Independent Travel Growing
- More Chinese tourists are choosing FIT (Free Independent Travel) over group tours. They want personalised itineraries and specific experiences, not a bus and a guide with a flag.
- Luxury and Boutique Travel
- Affluent Chinese travelers are gravitating toward high-end resorts, private villas, and custom tours, especially in Phuket and Koh Samui.
- Eco-Tourism and Sustainability
- Eco-friendly accommodations, ethical wildlife sanctuaries, and jungle trekking are growing in popularity with Chinese travelers, particularly younger ones.
- Health and Wellness
- Thailand’s spa culture, wellness retreats, and medical tourism (dental work, cosmetic procedures) are pulling in more Chinese visitors every year.
- Cultural Experiences
- Cooking classes, temple visits, and local festivals are increasingly requested by Chinese travelers who want something more than a beach.
- Social-Media-Driven Travel
- Floating markets, rooftop bars, beach clubs: places that photograph well are consistently in demand from Chinese travelers who share on Xiaohongshu and Douyin. A spot goes viral on one of those platforms and suddenly bookings spike.
- Digital Convenience
- Alipay, WeChat Pay, Chinese-language navigation apps, online booking platforms. These are not extras. They are expected.
What Thailand’s Tourism Industry Should Be Doing
- Mandarin staff: More hotels, restaurants, and attractions should have at least basic Mandarin-speaking capacity.
- Payment systems: Alipay and WeChat Pay should be accepted everywhere Chinese tourists spend money.
- Chinese-platform marketing: Promoting Thailand’s attractions on Douyin and Xiaohongshu is the most direct route to Chinese travelers’ attention in 2025.
- Safety and hygiene visibility: Post-pandemic trust needs to be maintained with clear, communicable standards.
Thailand is already one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists. The opportunity now is to move up within that market, toward higher-spending independent travelers, by meeting their specific expectations better than the competition does.
For more on how to reach Chinese tourists through digital marketing, see our page on Chinese digital marketing services.
The CAAC-CAAT Flight Expansion
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) received a formal request from the CAAC to increase scheduled passenger flights between China and Thailand from 3 to 15 per week. China requested that Thailand also consider boosting frequency in the other direction. The CAAT invited Thai airlines to a planning meeting and submitted a route plan to the CAAC. The process showed how quickly airline capacity can be added once political will is there on both sides.
Thai Smile, a regional unit of Thai Airways, resumed flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (flight WE684: 7:45 am departure, 12:05 pm arrival). Thai Smile also flies to Changsha and Zhengzhou from Bangkok on a regular schedule, with Airbus A320 aircraft.
More related reading:
Case Studies: GMA Tourism Clients
Memories Travel
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Work With GMA: Douyin, Little Red Book, and WeChat
Douyin: Thailand Tourism and Douyin are a natural fit, beautiful visuals, fast-paced content, destinations that look great at 15 seconds. GMA runs Douyin campaigns for travel and hospitality clients who want to reach Chinese travelers before they book. See our Douyin services.
Little Red Book (RED): Chinese travelers planning trips to Thailand search on RED. We build brand accounts and influencer campaigns that put hotels, resorts, and experiences in front of the right audience. See our RED services.
WeChat: From booking mini-programs to private group recommendations, WeChat is where Chinese Thailand travel decisions get confirmed. We set up and manage the full WeChat presence for your brand. See our WeChat services.
Full picture: all our services.
Oliver Verot is the founder of GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) in Shanghai. He has helped travel brands across Asia and Europe attract Chinese tourists for over 15 years. Thailand was his first international client back in 2013, so he has a soft spot for this market.
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