Bangkok’s three shopping centres grouped under the OneSiam brand, are collaborating with Air Asia to encourage more Chinese tourists to Thailand.

The malls – Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery – have received backing from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Chengdu office to launch a campaign called Air Asia x OneSiam present Thailand Shopping Festival. It will run from now through to the end of the Lunar New Year celebration early next year.

The partners believe the campaign will help achieve an anticipated 15 per cent increase in Mainland Chinese tourists visiting Thailand next year.

Chinese remain the largest demographic group of tourists visiting Thailand, according to Charun Chuennaitom, director of the TAT Chengdu Office. TAT data shows that between January and August this year, an estimated 25.8 million tourists travelled to Thailand, 10 per cent more than during the same period last year. Chinese accounted for 7.7 million of those, up by 16.5 per cent.

Tanavan Arkaleephan, director of tourism department at Siam Piwat, said OneSiam is a popular destination for Chinese travellers.

“Each day there is an estimate of 150,000 to 200,000 shoppers in Siam Paragon, 120,000 to 150,000 in Siam Center and Siam Discover, separately. The ratio of Thai visitors to Chinese visitors is 60 to 40.”

He said the top five tourist sources to regularly visit OneSiam are China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, but Chinese remain the majority group.

Tourists who between now and February 28 present an Air Asia boarding pass to One Siam staff at the Siam Paragon tourist lounge, and who follow the OneSiam WeChat account, can receive privileges and promotions from partnering brands, including vouchers from OneSiam, product samples from Pralyn, 30 per cent discounts on body massage therapy from The Beauty Art, and discount offers from Thai designer brands.

Tourists can enter to win tickets from Air Asia and shopping vouchers at OneSiam.

Air Asia offers direct flights from Bangkok to 15 destinations in China.

Nattinee Tawanchulee, director of commercial at Thai AirAsia, said as part of the collaboration, Air Asia has a surprise in store for travellers on some flights from Chongqing to Bangkok, with an in-flight fashion show showcasing special collections from Thai brands including Fri27Nov, Iconic, Kloset, Rotsaniyom, and Theatre.