Thailand's economic outlook dims on fewer low-budget Chinese tourists

Thailand is nursing a slide in Chinese holidaymakers after cracking down on low-budget tours from the world's most-populous country, muddying the Southeast Asian nation's economic growth outlook.

Arrivals fell about 30 percent in November from a year ago, extending a slide that began in September after Thailand clamped down on operators bringing in large groups from China on cut-price holidays. Some of the impact could linger in the early part of 2017, according to Kasikorn Research Center Co.

Thailand is seeking to focus on smaller groups of higher-spending visitors to bolster the tourism industry longer term. The unknown is the severity of the short-term pain. Chinese visitors last year were the most by headcount and tourism accounts for about 11 percent of Thailand's $395 billion gross domestic product. Economic expansion was subdued even before the move against the so-called zero-dollar tour groups from China.