Chinese tourists to get etiquette manuals
Thousands of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand during their New Year holiday will receive "tourism manuals" in an effort to curb offensive behavior, officials said Monday.
Complaints of inappropriate toilet usage at Wat Rong Khun, the famous "White Temple" of Chiang Rai, led to a temporary ban on Chinsee tourists recently.
The city of Chiang Mai will be the focal point of the Mandarin-language manuals, as it is the most popular destination for Chinese tourists, with some 90,000 expected over this week's holiday period.
The manual will list museum etiquette, such as not touchingpaintings, warn against using public property as lavatories, andencourage proper driving behaviour, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Chiang Mai.
Last year 4.6 million Chinese tourists arrived in Thailand, down just 0.29% from 2013. Year-on-year arrivals skyrocketed in December, however, up 86.5%.
Chinese tourists in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have been thetarget of numerous complaints from locals who accuse thevisitors of defecating in the city's moat, causing traffic accidents with reckless driving and defacing several touristattractions.
Chinese tourists were banned for half of Feb 3 from entering Wat Rong Khun, the "White Temple", one of the top tourist destinations in Chiang Rai, after complaints of inappropriate toilet usage.