This anecdote made me laugh. I'm sure your friend observed correctly however it's nothing to do with the impending return of mainland Chinese tourists. The hunky tourists from HK and Taiwan were at Le Meridien in Bangkok over New Year driving up prices and blocking all the suites because:

1. The hunky men are in Bangkok for the annual gay White Party which is being held here for the first time in three years for obvious reasons. You'd see the same demographic at the W and the nearby SO/ Sofitel because these are the nearest upper scale branded hotels to the gay bars and clubs in Silom.

2. The reason they're from Hong Kong and Taiwan is that these are among the richest Asian territories and the gays can afford fashionable branded hotels (probably there were hunky Singaporean gays too but maybe your friend didn't bother to check passports). Hunky Pinoys, Indos, Vietnamese, and probably Malaysians will stay at cheaper hotels unless they're being kept.

3. The gays who go to the White Party are gym hunks. Google the pictures to verify this.

4. Gay hunks from Taiwan and HK like to get a tan and a tan line whereas in general your mainland Chinese consider a tan to be an anathema because it indicates a low social class (you only get a tan if you do manual work in the fields).

5. Many, many elites from the richer Asian countries clogging suites this New Year because Platinum has been easy to come by (even without credit card nights) during lockdown years with attractive staycation rates (at least in HK where I was trapped and re-qualified as Titanium without issue) and double night promos.

THB8k is a little exaggerated for effect I think. I've got bookings at THB7k and another at 6.5k net in February but I may shift them elsewhere as I can get an equivalent off-brand hotel with lounge access for around THB5k in the area and I don't need the EQNs now I'm Lifetime Platinum and there's no announced bonus yet.