Thailand and China discuss misinformation in Chinese film
Thailand and China held discussions over misleading information contained in the Chinese movie “No More Bets” on Tuesday in a bid to mitigate the film’s negative impact on tourism.
The film, which chronicles illegal businesses in Southeast Asia including call centre gangs and human trafficking, has caused uncertainty among potential Chinese visitors.
Even though the film does not specify the country where the story takes place, audiences have been able to guess from the scenery and other elements.
The film affected Cambodia the most, followed by Myanmar and Thailand. Cambodia banned the film and submitted a letter to the Chinese government, claiming that it destroyed the country's reputation and tourism.
A survey on the Chinese social media platform Weibo showed that 85% of 54,000 Chinese people said they would not travel in ASEAN countries due to uncertainty over their safety.
Prime Minister’s Office Minister Phuangphet Chunla-iad said the criticism on Weibo was the result of Thai writing appearing in some scenes even though “No More Bets” was not filmed in Thailand.
She said the discussion aimed to boost confidence among Chinese people that the scary scenes in the film were non-existent in Thailand.
“The Thai government would like to confirm that Thailand has implemented strict measures to ensure safety for tourists,” she said.
She also asked for cooperation on better exchanges of information to improve the effective handling of fake news that could affect both countries.
Meanwhile, China's ambassador to Thailand Han Zhiqiang stressed that Thailand is still a popular travel destination among Chinese tourists.
He also confirmed that the incident will not affect Chinese tourists’ confidence in travelling to Thailand, especially in the Chinese New Year festival in February next year.
