Mr. Srettha told reporters during a trip to San Francisco on Monday that the country only wanted to cooperate with Chinese police in exchanging information about criminal networks that may be operating in Thailand, which would boost the confidence of Chinese tourists.
This cooperation will not involve the deployment of Chinese police forces in Thailand, he said, according to the Bangkok Post .
Thai tourist police on patrol in Bangkok.
Mr Srettha's comments came after TAT Director General Thapanee Kiatphaibool told reporters on Sunday that the country was in talks with China on a joint patrol programme, sparking an outcry from locals who expressed concerns over sovereignty.
Mr. Srettha, who is in San Francisco to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, said the controversy arose due to misinformation.
Tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsupakijkosol stressed that this was the prime minister's view.
“There are other ways to build trust for tourists in Thailand… but we will not be doing joint patrols. The Thai police force is fully staffed and is working to restore trust,” she told reporters today.
Thailand's tourism industry has suffered in recent weeks, especially after a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in Bangkok left three people dead, including a Chinese tourist.
Thailand is trying to revive tourism, a key driver of economic growth. Chinese tourists made up the largest number of foreign visitors before the pandemic but have increasingly voiced concerns about safety and security in Thailand.
In September, the new government exempted Chinese tourists from visas for five months, a waiver that was extended to visitors from India and Taiwan from this month until May next year.
Official data shows that the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand has reached a total of 2.8 million so far this year, which is expected to fall short of the government's full-year target of 4 million to 4.4 million.
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