Thai Prime Minister Ba Yu apologized for the incident in which China tourists were beaten at the Thai airport.

　　China news agency, Bangkok, September 30 (Reporter Wang Guoan) The recent beating of a China tourist at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport has aroused widespread concern. A spokesman for the Thai Prime Minister’s Office said on September 30th that Prime Minister Ba Yu was deeply sorry for this incident and ordered to restore the confidence of China tourists to travel to Thailand as soon as possible.

　　"The airport is the first stop to enter Thailand, and people working there must have a sense of service." The spokesman quoted Ba Yu as saying that this incident could have been avoided. Even if tourists expressed dissatisfaction because of being refused entry, the staff should control their emotions and abide by the basic code of conduct.

　　The spokesman said that Prime Minister Ba Yu was worried that the previous shipwreck in Phuket had led to a decline in the number of China tourists visiting Thailand, and the beating incident would have a certain negative impact on Thailand’s tourism industry.

　　China is the largest tourist source country in Thailand. On July 5th this year, a cruise ship capsized in Phuket, killing 47 tourists from China. This tragedy has seriously damaged the confidence of tourists from China to visit Thailand. According to the statistics of Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of tourists arriving in Chinese mainland in July and August decreased year-on-year, with a year-on-year decrease of nearly 12% in August.

　　The spokesman said that after learning about the beating at the airport, Ba Yu had asked the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the tourism police and other relevant departments to take prompt measures to restore the confidence of China tourists and make efforts to provide convenience for all foreign tourists, including China citizens.

　　On the evening of September 27th, security guards at Don Mueang Airport had a physical conflict with a China man who was refused entry. Upon learning of this incident, the Embassy of China in Thailand immediately contacted the parties concerned to understand what had happened, and at the same time made representations to the Thai side, demanding that the Thai side thoroughly investigate the incident and severely punish the perpetrators. The director of Don Mueang Airport Authority also held a special press conference on September 29th to apologize for the beating of China citizens, and said that Thailand welcomes tourists from China, and relevant departments will strengthen management and improve service awareness to avoid similar incidents. (End)