For whatever reason, I'm seeing a heck of a lot of Chinese in Thailand. In fact, even in Huai Khwang, you see them. Now, they are not exactly doing themselves some favors. Look at this rant by a Thai in a Korean Airport.
Now, this is not an anomaly. I've seen this sort of crazy behavior at the outlet stores in various parts of So Cal. They swoop in and buy entire shelves of bags like predatory lions tearing up a gazelle apart. Since the decline of the Russian economy due to sanctions, the Chinese have largely made up for the tourism decline. The coup also has colored America's perception of Thailand, and so the tourism level is down. But the Chinese. What can I say but show it.
Part of it is the nouveau riche factor. Many have only recently come into money, and so they still act very "country" as we would say in America.
Why? There was a film in China set around Chiang Mai. Basically, it was their version of the Hangover 2. Now we got a bunch of Chinese who want to be lost in Thailand. Sometimes Thailand wants them to get lost, but it is a nation that relies on tourism.