For the first time since reliable records have been kept, Thailand is experiencing a tourism deficit with Japan, according to statistics for the first 6 months of 2023, revealed the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn.

 

The number of Thai tourists who went to Japan between January and June 2023 (497,700) exceeded that of the Japanese tourists visiting Thailand (326,347). The Japanese government’s COVID-19 border controls, which were only relaxed in May, are thought to be the cause of the decline in those coming to Thailand, as Japanese might still be hesitant to travel outside their own country.

 

Such a decline paved the way for Korean tourists visiting Thailand to overtake the Japanese, with 757,767 Koreans arriving in the first half of 2023. Koreans now rank fourth in international tourist numbers, behind Malaysia, China and Russia.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-tourism-deficit-with-japan/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-07-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

Japan is the "exotic" revenge travel vacation that people were looking forward to post covid. I don't think it really works in reverse. Thailand is quite boring by comparison, from a tourist perspective.

Half a million Thais traveling to Japan on vacation.

Times have changed, haven't they...

 

And on the other side of the social spectrum one still finds people living in slums.

This country is so bizarre if you think about it...

17 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of Thai tourists who went to Japan between January and June 2023 (497,700) exceeded that of the Japanese tourists visiting Thailand (326,347).

Sorry but i simply do NOT believe these figures. Based on that Jan to June data, Thailand would be looking at sending near 1 million tourists to Japan a year - or about say 1.5% of its entire population visiting Japan in a year.

 

Only way this total can be real is Japan is sending tourists, but Thailand is sending migrant workers any businessmen. I do not known any Thai that has ever visited Japan or even intends to go there

 

 

 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of Thai tourists who went to Japan between January and June 2023 (497,700) exceeded that of the Japanese tourists visiting Thailand (326,347).

Why would anyone who lives in a clean, hospitable, food loving country come to Thailand to slum it.

49 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry but i simply do NOT believe these figures. Based on that Jan to June data, Thailand would be looking at sending near 1 million tourists to Japan a year - or about say 1.5% of its entire population visiting Japan in a year.

 

Only way this total can be real is Japan is sending tourists, but Thailand is sending migrant workers any businessmen. I do not known any Thai that has ever visited Japan or even intends to go there

 

 

 

My Thai lady has visited Japan twice this year already.  Admittedly, working on a 2week tourist visa each time, doing farm work that the Japanese don't want to do.  All of her colleagues there were Thai too.  Earned decent money, although I didn't enquire how much.

1 minute ago, sharksy said:

My Thai lady has visited Japan twice this year already.  Admittedly, working on a 2week tourist visa each time, doing farm work that the Japanese don't want to do.  All of her colleagues there were Thai too.  Earned decent money, although I didn't enquire how much.

that was my point, they aint tourists

Maybe the Japanese don't enjoy holidaying with hordes of Indians and Chinese they're prone to encounter in Thailand.