Thai leader's AI video plea to Chinese tourists

Thailand yesterday posted an artificial intelligence-generated video of its prime minister speaking in Mandarin encouraging Chinese tourists to visit the kingdom despite reports of kidnappings at its border with Myanmar.

In the clip made by generative AI posted on the government's Facebook page, a likeness of Paetongtarn Shinawatra appears speaking in fluent Mandarin, a language she does not speak in real life.

"I understand that recent reports of Chinese nationals being lured to scam compounds around Thailand's borders have triggered concerns among Chinese tourists ... Thailand's government puts the safety of all tourists as its utmost priority," the AI Paetongtarn says.

Thailand has been seeking to quell safety concerns among potential Chinese tourists ahead of the Lunar New Year travel period as fears have mounted over reported kidnappings.

Scam compounds have mushroomed along Myanmar's border and are staffed by foreigners who are often trafficked and forced to work, swindling their compatriots in an industry analysts say is worth billions of dollars.

Concerns were raised after reports that a couple of rising Chinese stars were allegedly trafficked into cyber-fraud centers in Myanmar from Thailand earlier this month, fueling fears on Chinese social media with web users saying Thailand is a "dangerous" place.

The Thai government was boosting safety measures and combatting transnational crime, Paetongtarn's AI image said in the video. The PM's video likeness - whose hands appear mutated at times - emphasized at the start that the clip had been made with AI.

China remained at the top of Thailand's tourist numbers list in the first two weeks of January, comprising almost a sixth of the 1.3 million arrivals.

The Thai government anticipates a further 7 percent rise in Chinese tourists during the Lunar New Year holidays.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE