Tourism Thailand Acts to Boost International Tourist Safety Amid Decline

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

In a pivotal meeting on Wednesday, Sorawong chaired discussions aimed at addressing safety concerns affecting international tourists in Thailand. The gathering brought together key players from the private tourism sector, including representatives from ATTA, THA, TCT, and the Airlines Association of Thailand.

 

As the current foreign tourism market reaches a critical juncture, Sorawong underlined the urgency of taking swift preventative actions to manage the situation effectively. Acknowledging tourism as the main driver of Thailand's economy, he stressed the importance of leveraging every possible initiative to bolster the sector.

 

Despite a notable decline in arrivals from major markets like China since the start of 2025, tourism revenue has increased compared to the previous year, suggesting that tourists are spending more on their visits. From January 1 to April 27, Thailand welcomed 11,841,911 foreign visitors, marking a slight increase of 0.12% year-on-year and generating 565.6 billion baht in revenue.

 

China, Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea emerged as the top five sources of tourists, with each contributing significantly to the visitor numbers. As Thailand seeks to enhance safety, the aim is to maintain its appeal as a premier tourist destination while addressing the underlying issues affecting the sector.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-05-02

 

 

[Will B Good]

Thailand Acts to Boost International Tourist Safety......you have to feel for them to a degree......talk about a hopeless/thankless task.

 

Imagine being put in charge of improving tourist safety in Thailand.......your head would just explode.

[blaze master]

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

[blaze master]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Imagine being put in charge of improving tourist safety in Thailand.......your head would just explode.

 

I couldn't imagine the stress involved in deciding which brown envelope to take. 

[Yagoda]

Direct flight to the USA would help

[ChrisY1]

The TAT sure knows how to stuff a tourist site looking at this dreadful picture! How can this many people and boats be good for any country? Pure greed for tourist dollars!

[watchcat]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Sorawong chaired discussions aimed at addressing safety concerns affecting international tourists in Thailand.

 

As the tourists are decliinin you would have more time to safeguard the few tourists that are arriving?

[actonion]

Safety, and Thailand  do not go together

[spidermike007]

The authorities in Thailand have never cared one iota for tourist safety, traffic safety or public safety. That isn't going to change now that tourism is supposedly declining. 

 

There are at least a dozen other factors have never been addressed. Safety won't be either. 

[newbee2022]

If safety standards would be equivalent to the West, tourists would trust to try paragliding, boating, ziplines, bus tours aso.

Long way to go, but it's the first step

[technoronin]

If they want more tourist dollars then why shorten the visa exempt time as well as create the useless TDAC system?

[2long]

Surely if they reduced the length of visa exempt entries to 5-7days (instead of the silly 30 or 60 days) then the chances of tourists getting hurt would be reduced, because statistically they're in the country for less time.

Also, tourists tend to get fleeced more in the first week, before getting wise to correct prices. Therefore, revenue will not be affected.

 

You're welcome. 😉🫣🙄🤫🤣🥱

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Acknowledging tourism as the main driver of Thailand's economy, he stressed the importance of leveraging every possible initiative to bolster the sector.

I thought it was only 20% ... things must have shifted

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, blaze master said:

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

Thailands idea of sustainable tourism

[Pique Dard]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the aim is to maintain its appeal as a premier tourist destination while addressing the underlying issues affecting the sector.

...and the underlying issues affecting the sector are?

[ozz1]

But  tat are expecting millions of tourists or are they wrong someone forgot how to use a calculator its more economics than safety

[Aussie999]

"Thailand Acts to Boost International Tourist Safety Amid Decline," they've been doing this for years, but we haven't seen any change, and I suspect we won't, hope they prove me wrong.

[thai006]

Boost ?  Give 90 days to everyone 😂😂😂

[carlf]

15 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Direct flight to the USA would help

You should have this next month. Loads of posters now in the BTS advertising Starlux direct flights as of June to severe US West Coast cities, eg LA, SF.. 

[Cabradelmar]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

From January 1 to April 27, Thailand welcomed 11,841,911 foreign visitors, marking a slight increase of 0.12% year-on-year

Decline? Or just not enough of an increase? Thailand loves to whine about the need to increase over tourism 🤮 

[Yagoda]

14 minutes ago, carlf said:

You should have this next month. Loads of posters now in the BTS advertising Starlux direct flights as of June to severe US West Coast cities, eg LA, SF.. 

Anyone ever flew starlux?

[markeewan]

16 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Direct flight to the USA would help

 

16 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Direct flight to the USA would help

I thought I saw last week that this was approved recently.

[NemoH]

Crime is rampant actually … it’s on all the social media sites. Not one day passes without major crime happening in addition to the brawls, counterfeit goods, scams….etc… most of these criminals are from the usual - drunken westerner and the usual Chinese criminals who by pass Thai laws from setting up fake business, fake goods, gambling etc… it’s all reported on social media news but not on main media…

 

It is correct to address crime to attract tourists but Thailand should also understand that the world economy is currently in turmoil and it is not a good rationale for any tourist to consider traveling during this period. Besides Thailand is also facing more competition from Vietnam beach resorts and also neighboring Malaysia and Philippines. Thailand is also getting expensive .. nice restaurants in Thailand are now charging like nice restaurants in Singapore - Eg. wine per glass is 350thb and above for hotels and nice restaurants. 
 

So not one factor decides the tourist numbers… 

[AhFarangJa]

Who in their right mind would think that spending a day as depicted in the file photo, herded like sheep, crowded beach, no chance to enjoy the nature, as a pleasant experience. 

 

[jcmj]

16 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Direct flight to the USA would help

Hell, cheaper flights from America would help a lot and the UK and many other countries that have the quality tourists that used to come till they decided they only wanted the ASEAN nations,,well and the running Russians. Even the Russians who came 15 years ago were high rollers and great people. You did this to yourself Thailand. 

[KireB]

17 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Thailand Acts to Boost International Tourist Safety......you have to feel for them to a degree......talk about a hopeless/thankless task.

 

Imagine being put in charge of improving tourist safety in Thailand.......your head would just explode.

You mean, "your pockets are filled".

[Thingamabob]

In recent times the Thai govt have focussed on increasing the number of tourists from East Asia while, apparently, discouraging visitors from Western Europe and the USA. As a result tourist locations are now overwhelmed by masses of low spending visitors, while the higher spenders are going to other countries because they no longer feel welcomed/wanted in Thailand.

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, carlf said:

You should have this next month. Loads of posters now in the BTS advertising Starlux direct flights as of June to severe US West Coast cities, eg LA, SF.. 

 

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Anyone ever flew starlux?

 

51 minutes ago, markeewan said:

 

I thought I saw last week that this was approved recently.

No direct flights Stalux goes through Taipei as does Thai

[wensiensheng]

17 hours ago, blaze master said:

Look at the destruction in the file photo. 

Looks like an opening scene from Lost

[wensiensheng]

44 minutes ago, NemoH said:

Crime is rampant actually … it’s on all the social media sites. Not one day passes without major crime happening in addition to the brawls, counterfeit goods, scams….etc… most of these criminals are from the usual - drunken westerner and the usual Chinese criminals who by pass Thai laws from setting up fake business, fake goods, gambling etc… it’s all reported on social media news but not on main media…

 

It is correct to address crime to attract tourists but Thailand should also understand that the world economy is currently in turmoil and it is not a good rationale for any tourist to consider traveling during this period. Besides Thailand is also facing more competition from Vietnam beach resorts and also neighboring Malaysia and Philippines. Thailand is also getting expensive .. nice restaurants in Thailand are now charging like nice restaurants in Singapore - Eg. wine per glass is 350thb and above for hotels and nice restaurants. 
 

So not one factor decides the tourist numbers… 

I think you are posting on the wrong day.

Tomorrow is when the stories are all about crimes committed BY tourists, today is for stories about crimes committed ON tourists.

 

And so it will go on. One day it’s all about protecting the precious tourists, the next it’s about bashing tourists. But……nothing ever changes