Episode
Lost in Thailand: The New Chinese Diaspora from Bangkok to Addis Ababa
- Podcast
- Barbarians at the Gate
- Published
- Jan 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2151
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Summary
It’s high season in Thailand. The weather is perfect. But look around the hotel lobbies and the night markets, and you’ll notice something missing: the tour buses. For the last decade, Thailand bet the house on Chinese mass tourism. Now, that wager is looking shaky. The numbers are down, and the reasons go deeper than just a sluggish post-COVID economy. On this episode, David dials in from Addis Ababa and we are joined by travel writer Thomas Bird (author of Harmony Express), global strategist Yajun Zhang to try and figure out where everyone went and where Chinese travelers are going next. We look at the "scam center" panic that’s terrifying parents on WeChat, the shift from package tours to solo travel, and why a new generation of Chinese tourists might be skipping Bangkok for Singapore. Plus, we look at how the Chinese diaspora is changing the sound of the region—literally. From the streets of Bangkok to the markets of Addis Ababa, is Mandarin replacing English as the default second language of the Global South? In this episode: The Hangover: Thailand’s pivot from GI R&R spot to Chinese holiday destination—and the current crash. The Fear Factor: How viral stories about kidnappings and scam compounds are killing the vibe for mainland travelers. The New Traveler: Why the "flag-following" tour groups are being replaced by digital nomads and independent explorers. Diaspora Voices: Comparing the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia with the newer waves arriving in Africa.