Chiang Mai Foreign Tourist Arrivals Recovering Slowly Post-COVID: 2023 Numbers at 58% Compared to Pre-Pandemic Levels

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Chiang Mai—On January 3rd, 2024, Mr. Worapong Muchaotai, an official from the Chiang Mai Office of Social Enterprise Promotion (Visit Chiang Mai), publicly revealed 2023 statistics of foreign tourists traveling to Chiang Mai airport with a total of 3.9 million individuals.

However, when comparing the 2023 statistics to before COVID-19, the result showed that the number plummeted from 5.6 million in 2019. The number of international passengers was 1,186,726 which was 58% of the number in 2019.

 

PHOTO: VISIT CHIANG MAI

According to statistics by Visit Chiang Mai, the number was estimated to increase in 2024 and would return to a normal state in 2025. The number of Chinese tourists was insignificant with a total of 200,982 which was only 23% compared to before COVID-19.

 

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-01-04

 

- 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.

 

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[Stargeezr]

I live near the mountains in Canada, so i will not be going to Chiang Mai again soon.

I enjoyed the scenery, but got tired of the air pollution.

I prefer going near the ocean, because of good sea food, and the relaxing sounds

of the ocean waves. Jomtien Beach in south Pattaya and Hua Hin, are 2 of my favorite places.

 Kata and Pathong beach in Phuket are also 2 more places I may visit this Winter.

[Skipalongcassidy]

8 minutes ago, Stargeezr said:

I live near the mountains in Canada, so i will not be going to Chiang Mai again soon.

I enjoyed the scenery, but got tired of the air pollution.

I prefer going near the ocean, because of good sea food, and the relaxing sounds

of the ocean waves. Jomtien Beach in south Pattaya and Hua Hin, are 2 of my favorite places.

 Kata and Pathong beach in Phuket are also 2 more places I may visit this Winter.

You got tired of the smoke from Canada's forest fires... so you won't be coming to Chiang Mai 

[arithai12]

This statistics doesn't tell the real story. Direct flights arrivals, by passport. But certainly many, if not most, of the foreign arrivals are tourists coming with domestic flights having first stayed in other places such as Bangkok or Phuket, and thus not counted here. Also, the dominant component of the visitors to CM are Thai tourists, mainly Bangkokians, who often come by car and again are not counted. For a hotel or a restaurant it doesn't matter a fig whether the person paying the bill is national or international, so this statistics doesn't measure the real pulse of the tourist industry in CM. It is obvious to anyone living here that the city is flooded with tourists. The roads are choked with Bangkok-plated cars and with rental scooters. More than enough really! If some business owners cry that they don't have enough customers, their problem is not the tourist numbers but the competition. Coffee shops and elephant trousers stands grow like mushrooms.