Thai police have arrested a Chinese woman with social media influence, who was charged with violating visa regulations. This action took place just a few days after this woman was condemned for posting a video depicting a famous night area in Bangkok as unsafe for women.
Mr. Phanthana Nutchanart, Deputy Director of the Thai Immigration Department, shared with the media that Ziyu Wang, a Chinese tourist visiting Thailand, was caught selling online while in Thai territory. , and this woman also violated visa laws.
Thai police said Ziyu Wang, 28 years old, entered Bangkok on November 2 with a tourist visa. “She was working here without a work permit and the police are handling the matter,” Nutchanart said.
Thailand: Arrested for spreading unsafe travel rumors
The nightlife area around Nana Plaza in Bangkok is famous for its attractive adult-themed bars. Photo: CNN.
“We summoned her and informed her of the alleged visa violation,” he said. This incident took place in the context that Thailand is trying to attract Chinese tourists after the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to CNN, social media influencers may face legal issues when the content they produce causes strong reactions from the public abroad. Wang currently has more than 3 million followers on social networks, mainly active on Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) and some other platforms such as Youtube, Facebook…
Recently, she posted a video on Douyin while hanging out near the Nana Plaza area, an area famous for its luxury adult bars. In the video, Wang stated that the area was not safe for women. This clip caused many people in Thailand to protest, saying that it harmed the country’s image and that Wang’s information was an exaggeration of the truth. .
Wang was summoned by police a few days later and admitted to posting the video. Afterwards, she publicly apologized, denying any intention to harm Thailand’s reputation.
The police report also highlights the challenges Thailand is facing in attracting Chinese tourists following conflicting information and safety concerns on Chinese social networks. Events such as the shooting at a shopping mall in Bangkok and Chinese horror films with content related to security issues have also affected Chinese tourists’ trust in Thailand. Lan.
Gary Bowerman, a leading expert on Asian tourism and consumer trends, commented that despite incentives such as visa exemption, the number of Chinese tourists has not increased again. He noted that recent Chinese films with negative content about safety in Southeast Asian countries have made the situation even more difficult.
“It takes time for tourists to trust again after the epidemic disaster, and recent Chinese movies certainly don’t help that,” Bowerman said.
According to CNN, the power of influencers to influence public opinion of travel destinations, both positive and negative. Chinese influencers’ social media apps and platforms, not widely used outside of China, carry large audiences and strong influence in the country.
Currently, the Thai tourism industry is using influencers from China to promote this country. In November, the Thai tourism authority signed an agreement with Chinese technology companies to launch tourism promotions and advertising campaigns.
