Thailand's visa waiver programme for Chinese nationals has come under scrutiny after the high-profile alleged kidnapping of a Chinese actor and similar crimes stoked worries over tourism and security. The incident involving actor Wang Xing was widely shared on Chinese social media earlier this month, prompting Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to reassure Chinese tourists of their safety ahead of the Lunar New Year. Since then, foreign tourist arrivals have jumped by 26% annually to 35.5 million, of which some 6.73 million travelled from China, up 91%.