CHIANG MAI, 23 February 2014 The results from an online survey from the Institute for Social Research at Chiang Mai University shows that most Chiang Mai people disliked Chinese tourists. The institute prepares to present the information to the provincial agencies to determine measures to cope with the situation.
Academic center for developing creative locality, Institute for Social Research, Chiang Mai University, created an online questionnaire and collected data via an online social network. The target group included people who used Facebook from 4-10 February 2014. There were 2,220 respondents and a high number of respondents commented that Chinese tourists are a nuisance to the community. They claimed that the Chinese do not respect the rules and regulations of the tourist attractions including public places, official places or even on the university campus.
Mrs. Korawan Sangkhakorn, Expert Researcher with the Institute for Social Research at Chiang Mai University who conducted this survey, revealed that this survey was conducted to monitor the situation and the consequences arising from an increased number of Chinese tourists visiting Chiang Mai. In 2009, there were about 700,000 Chinese tourists visiting Thailand and in 2013, the number of Chinese tourists increased to 4.7 million.
The increased number of Chinese tourists coming has had a major impact on the locals according to the survey and as a result, there is a decreased number of quality tourists from other countries as a result of their negative attitudes towards Chinese tourists.
The hope is that a resolution can be found so that all parties can be satisfied.
