Thailand is currently seeing a massive wave of tourists, and the numbers are far beyond a simple recovery. For hotel owners and luxury brands, this isn’t just about full rooms—it is about knowing exactly which travellers are spending the most and how to talk to them.
According to The Nation, over 12 million international visitors arrived in Thailand in the first four months of this year. Two countries are clearly leading the way:
✚ China: With over 1.8 million visitors between January and April, they are the top source of tourists.
✚ Malaysia: Following closely behind with 1.2 million visitors.
The growth is incredibly fast. In just one week in late April, arrivals from China jumped by 37%, while Malaysian visitors increased by 21%. These two groups represent the biggest opportunity for Thailand’s hospitality and lifestyle sectors today.
The Secret to Reaching Chinese Speaking Travellers
Whether they are flying in from Beijing or Kuala Lumpur, these wealthy travellers have one thing in common: they plan their trips on RedNote (also known as Xiaohongshu).
In Asia, RedNote has replaced traditional platforms like Instagram for travel planning. It works like a digital guidebook where people share honest reviews and beautiful photos. For these guests, a brand only feels “real” if they see other people talking about it on this app. This is why RedNote is the key to reaching the Chinese luxury market. It is where they go to find their next five-star stay or high-end dinner.
Visuals that Sell: Lessons from JW Marriott Phu Quoc
To succeed on RedNote, you don’t need expensive, over-produced commercials. In fact, those often perform poorly because they look like adverts. The users on this platform prefer content that feels natural and peaceful.
Our work with JW Marriott Phu Quoc is a great example. Instead of a loud promotional video, we shared a simple, calm shot of a guest swimming in the resort’s famous pool. This simple approach led to massive engagement, with thousands of people liking and saving the post for their future trips.
This natural style of content works because it helps the traveller imagine themselves at your property. However, just posting isn’t enough. To make sure you stand out, you also need well-planned RedNote adverts. As an official partner of the platform, we know how to make sure your hotel appears at the top of the page when people search for terms like #travelthailand or #phuketbeach.
How to Turn Digital Interest into Real Bookings
The huge number of visitors from China and Malaysia proves that the Chinese-speaking market is the most important driver of growth in Thailand. But you cannot treat these guests all the same. A traveller from Shanghai has different tastes than a traveller from Kuala Lumpur.
To win these guests over, your marketing needs to do more than just translate words. You need to understand the visual trends, the specific phrases they use, and how the RedNote system works.
At MCN Asia, we help brands bridge this gap. We combine our deep knowledge of the region with native language skills to make sure your marketing actually leads to bookings. If you want to capture the attention of Thailand’s top spending visitors with a smart RedNote strategy, our team is here to help you get started.
