1.Raising of Problems
With the modernization of agriculture and industry in China and economic development brought by the Opening-up Policy，China’s hard power has been greatly improved. China has been always participating in international and regional affairs for many years and its international status and soft power have been also gradually improved. In 2013，China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative and then has strengthened cooperation with countries along the Silk Road continuously and become an international leader of cross-regional cooperation. China’s role in the international stage is increasingly important and the importance of its image becomes apparent gradually. China’s national image is a basis for China’s soft power and influence. In accordance with the 2015 Global Survey on China’s National Image[1]，China’s overall image in 2015 has been improved steadily and its international economic influence ranked second in the world.
In 2015，CRI News Radio published Global Survey of Chinese Tourists’ Overseas Image[2]with China Tourism Academy and made a research on Chinese tourists’overseas behaviors and emphasized foreigners’ understanding to Chinese tourists’ uncivilized behaviors in overseas travel.
For a long time，international societies mainly know the information on China through media report due to the restriction of regional geography and language culture and rarely know China through direct communication with Chinese people. Shown in 2015 China National Image Global Survey，among overseas interviewees，the persons who chose to know China through local traditional media and local new media accounted for 62% and 51% respectively，while the persons who chose to know China through direct communication with Chinese people accounted for 14% only.
But in Thailand，due to rapid increase in the number of Chinese tourists，it has become a main channel for Thai people to know China through contact and communication with Chinese tourists. This means that，information sent by Chinese tourists’ behaviors will influence Thai people’s understanding to China’s image directly.
Chinese tourists’ image mentioned in this text，refers to overall image of Chinese tourists who go abroad to travel in Thailand. Chinese tourists’ image is a reflection of China’s national image at abroad，and also an important factor which influences China’s national image.
In the recent several years，with the increase in the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand，Chinese tourists’ image in Thai society has been declined. Bad image of Chinese tourists has caused Thai society to have an antipathy towards Chinese tourists and Chinese tourist market. Finally，it has not only restricted the development of tourist industry of both China and Thailand，but also brought negative influence to China’s national image and public diplomacy.
The shaping of Chinese tourists’ image，is not only limited to tourists’ behaviors，but is effected by tourist industry and market comprehensively. This text has analyzed the shaping of the image of Chinese tourists to Thailand and given corresponding suggestions concerning relevant problems through the data of questionnaire and Thai people’s comments to Chinese tourists on Thai websites.