Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon insists the Chinese government has not issued a travel warning for Thailand following an airport security guard’s alleged assault on a Chinese tourist who was denied entry.
The government had already apologised to Beijing, which was satisfied with Thai authorities’ handling of the matter, Gen Prawit said on Wednesday.
The security guard involved in the incident with the tourist at Don Mueang was dismissed from the job, the deputy prime minister said, adding the incident was a "personal matter".
The altercation, videoed by another Chinese tourist, occurred inside the airport last Thursday. The video was posted on Facebook and drew criticism of the guard.
The clip showed the guard and the Chinese man quarrelling before the guard shoved him and swung his arm wildly, as if trying to punch the tourist in the face. He missed and another security guard intervened.
The Chinese tourist had been denied entry because he did not have proof of a ticket home.
Gen Prawit said Chinese tourists to Thailand had long been well cared for and everything went smoothly before the fatal boat accident in Phuket in July, and now the Don Mueang airport incident.
The latest incident came as Thailand tries to contain the damage to the tourism sector caused by the capsize of the dive boat Phoenix, which sank during a storm off the Phuket coast, drowning 47 Chinese tourists.
