Taking Thailand by storm! Nearly 50 Thai media outlets are all raving about Sanya!

Over the past couple of days, Sanya has been all over the news in Thailand.

From the official website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to mainstream news sites, from newspaper pages to social media, and from Facebook to TikTok, nearly 50 Thai media outlets have simultaneously turned their attention to this Chinese tropical coastal city.

On 31 March 2026, a media promotion and exchange event for Sanya tourism was held at the China Cultural Centre in Bangkok. The media frenzy that followed the event far exceeded expectations—

The Thailand Tourism Authority’s official website and Facebook page simultaneously published news of the event; Khao Sod (The News) ran a feature article in its print edition under the headline “First trip to China, starting with ‘Sanya’—direct flights from Bangkok take just two hours”; Matichon (The People’s Voice) published an article stating that Sanya is becoming a new hotspot for Thai tourists; Thailand’s largest news channel, Dailynews, highlighted Sanya’s world-class water park and the 108-metre-tall Guanyin statue at sea; Thailand’s largest state-owned television station, MCOT Channel 9, covered the event’s festivities in a television news report; specialist travel media outlets such as Guide of Bangkok also followed suit; and the Chinese-language media outlet Thai Xingxian, with a history spanning over 70 years, posted a tweet highlighting that cultural and tourism cooperation between Sanya and Thailand has entered a new phase……

From major national media outlets to niche platforms, and from print media to short-form video, Thai media outlets have, almost in unison, turned their attention to Sanya.

This wave of media attention has made Sanya the undisputed ‘talk of the town’ in Thailand’s tourism circles in recent times. Why have Thai media outlets collectively turned their attention to this tropical coastal city in China?

PART 1

Thai media are raving about Sanya – but what exactly are they raving about?

01. The convenience of being ‘a world away yet just a stone’s throw’

A direct flight from Bangkok to Sanya takes just two hours.

The implementation of the visa-free travel policy between China and Thailand has made this journey even more effortless. The geographical proximity, combined with the policy benefits, has made Sanya the first stop for many Thai tourists travelling to China – no longer a distant dream, but a reality within easy reach.

Several Thai media outlets have all highlighted this key feature in their reports. As Khao Sod put it in its headline: ‘First trip to China? Start with Sanya – a direct flight from Bangkok takes just two hours.’ Dailynews similarly used ‘two-hour direct flight’ as the core selling point to attract Thai readers.

02. Cultivating the Surprise of ‘Déjà Vu’

Both Sanya and Thailand are tropical coastal destinations, sharing the natural blessings of coconut palms and the sea breeze. Yet, when Thai tourists set foot on this land, amidst the familiar warm sea breeze, they encounter a distinct Chinese charm.

The 108-metre-tall Sea Goddess of Mercy statue in the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone resonates deeply with Thailand’s rich Buddhist heritage, making it a sacred site for prayer in the hearts of countless Thai visitors. In its report, *Daily News* specifically highlighted this iconic attraction, listing it alongside Atlantis Water World as one of Sanya’s key attractions for Thai tourists.

A familiar faith, presented in a new light; a familiar sea breeze, carrying with it a unique charm—this is what we call ‘a pleasant surprise amidst the familiar’.

03. Cultivating a spirit of ‘nurturing silently’

Behind the media attention lies the continuous improvement of Sanya’s inbound tourism services.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport has introduced ‘paperless self-service declaration’, reducing the time passengers spend going through customs and making this ‘first stop’ upon arrival more efficient and convenient; major tourist attractions and hotels offer multilingual services; overseas credit cards are accepted across all key cultural and tourism venues; and the 12345 hotline has launched dedicated multilingual service lines… It is these thoughtful touches, hidden in the details, that form the underlying reason why Thai tourists ‘keep coming back’.

As reported by MCOT Channel 9, Sanya is emerging as one of the top destinations for Thai tourists visiting China for the first time, whilst cooperation between China and Thailand in the fields of culture and tourism is also deepening.

PART 2

From ‘Within Sight’ to ‘Walking Hand in Hand’

The significance of this event extends far beyond media attention.

During the event, the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau and the Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The two parties will engage in in-depth cooperation in areas such as tourism product development, mutual visits by influencers, joint destination marketing and increased flight frequencies, working together to create the flagship ‘Bangkok–Sanya’ cross-border tourism route. At the same time, Sanya has established Southeast Asia’s first overseas tourism promotion liaison office in Thailand, with the Tourism Association of Thailand and Zhenghao Travel Group responsible for marketing and visitor services.

This signifies that the relationship between Sanya and Thailand is evolving from one of ‘mutual interest’ to one of ‘working side by side’. As Ms Zheng Sirui, Director-General of the East Asia Division at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, remarked: ‘In the future, both sides will move from individual promotional efforts towards collaborative promotion, deepening cooperation around shared markets and target audiences.’

PART 3

A collective spotlight: the signal it sends

The collective coverage by nearly 50 Thai media outlets is not merely a successful publicity event; it sends a clear signal:

For Thai tourists, Sanya is no longer just a distant holiday destination, but a convenient ‘spur-of-the-moment’ choice – a warm and welcoming holiday resort that resonates with them.

For Sanya, this media frenzy marks a significant milestone in its journey towards internationalisation. From the Tourism Authority of Thailand to mainstream media outlets, and from specialist travel platforms to social media influencers, Sanya is gaining widespread recognition in the Thai tourism market.

For Sino-Thai cultural and tourism cooperation, this serves as a microcosm of the deepening and strengthening of cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries. With the support of the Chinese Tourism Office in Bangkok, a series of promotional activities—including mutual visits by influencers and the ‘Bangkok–Sanya’ twin-city initiative—will be rolled out in due course, paving the way for a new, sustainable path in cultural and tourism cooperation between the two nations.

A two-hour flight from Bangkok to Sanya connects the boundless possibilities of these two tropical paradises.

With Thai media collectively raving about Sanya, and Sanya joining forces with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the next chapter in Sino-Thai cultural and tourism cooperation is now unfolding along this azure coastline.

We warmly welcome our Thai friends to visit Sanya often. 🌴🌊☀️