Thai PM to reassure Chinese tourists on security ahead of Lunar New Year

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is stepping up security for tourists to restore the confidence of Chinese visitors, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday after an alleged kidnapping of a Chinese actor sparked concerns about the safety of travellers.

Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, and China is the biggest single market for Thailand.

"Tourism is the country's main source of income. I don't want it to be affected," Paetongtarn said. "I have instructed security agencies to raise the level of security for tourists."

The prime minister said she would record a message in Chinese to reassure tourists of their safety and security.

Last year, more than 6.7 million Chinese people visited Thailand, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the 35.5 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country.

Questions about the safety of Chinese tourists were triggered earlier this month after actor Wang Xing went missing on the Thai-Myanmar border and authorities said he may have been a victim of human trafficking by criminal groups.

The 22-year old has been found and has returned to China.

The case was widely shared on Chinese social media, sparking fears in Thailand of a drop-off in Chinese visitors ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays that start in late January.

There have been some cancellations but the number of tourists from China has not dropped, Paetongtarn said.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat, Editing by John Mair)