Thailand is mulling a plan to station Chinese police personnel at some of its popular tourist destinations to lift the confidence of travelers from the Asian neighbor, but the move has sparked a controversy with some critics raising concerns over sovereignty.
The co-operation with Chinese police was discussed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, senior police and tourism officials on Sunday as a way to draw more Chinese visitors, who used to make up the largest number of foreign arrivals before the pandemic.
“We’re in talks with the Chinese embassy about a patrol program to bring Chinese police to Thailand,” Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand told reporters on Sunday. “This will show how Thailand has ramped up safety measures, which will be a great boost to Chinese tourists’ confidence.”
Thapanee said that a similar program was “successfully” implemented in Italy in the past. The European country is home to the largest number of so-called secret Chinese police stations, according to reports by Safeguard Defenders, a Spain-based human rights group, which has found at least 102 such police centers in 53 foreign countries.
Thai Internet users slammed the move, with most saying they are worried that Thailand would become another location for the covert operations targeting Chinese dissidents overseas.
Addressing the controversy, Thai government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said the plan was aimed at busting Chinese mafia groups operating in Thailand and had nothing to do with Thailand’s independence or sovereignty.
“The Chinese mafia groups are afraid of their own police, and Chinese tourists will feel especially safe with Chinese police there to take care of them,” Chai said.
The plan for police deployment is the latest attempt by Thailand to lure visitors as concerns over tourist safety deter some Chinese travelers, considered crucial for the recovery of the local tourism industry. In September, Srettha’s administration waived visa requirements for Chinese travelers for a five-month period, an exemption that was extended to Indians and Taiwanese travelers this month through May next year.
Chinese arrivals have totaled 2.8 million so far this year, trailing the government’s full-year target of 4 million to 4.4 million, official data show.