Tourism Tourism Shock: Thailand's Visitor Numbers See Alarming Plunge

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, Globalres said:

I can agree with you on this, in particular about vaping.  Many people have been able to quit smoking cigarettes and are now exclusively vaping instead.  I know, not harmless, but according to independent scientific papers, much less harmful than smoking, IF using reputable vapes and liquids.  The fact that one is penalised in Thailand for vaping but not for smoking cigarettes is quite flabbergasting.  
I know of several large company executives who would be happy to have a holiday in Thailand say they will not come due to being treated like a criminal for vaping.  

And the most funniest thing is that Thai police officers, government officials, teachers, and other common people are vaping everywhere and are being left alone, but if a foreigner is vaping he/she will be fined....That is the biggest problem and a main reason that people avoid coming here.. the tourists are seen as the criminals and law breakers, while the netizens are the majority and being protected for same offences and worse

[findlay13]

deleted

[gejohesch]

4 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Yes, Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is not on the way between Bangkok and Nong Khai!

Chiang Mai is one of the rare exceptions, as I mentioned, with having a walkable centre. Not that large though, and dwarfed by the rest of the city.

On that same line, I would also mention Ayutthaya.

These are 2 cities having kept an interesting and walkable centre, left from centuries past. Possibly Sukhothai? I cannot remember, last time I went there was 40+ years ago.

 

But again, how could that compare with the dozens, if not 100's of beautiful walkable cities nearly any country in Europe has on offer?

[Puccini]

12 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

...cleaning up the air...

 

Cleaning up the air is at the top of my wish list buI fear that it will never happen.

[watchcat]

On 5/16/2025 at 1:39 AM, webfact said:

Thailand's tourism sector faces a pressing situation as foreign arrivals nosedive, with both leisure and corporate travellers dwindling.

 

Who could blame them, why visit a police state?

[Taco]

This is what you get when you alienate backpackers and instruct your immigration authorities to be pricks

[spidermike007]

Thailand is a nation moving in reverse. None of the issues plaguing tourism are being addressed. Thailand suffers from an impossible level of smugness and arrogance, and the persistent belief that they are truly the center of the universe and the best thing in the world. They don't have a clue. Sometimes it feels like the fact that the nation was never colonized was a leading factor in this hubris and inability to see the world for what it is. The severe inability to adapt, improve, and reform, has hurt their prospects. 

 

The government goons need to make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways.

 

[Dan O]

On 5/15/2025 at 11:10 PM, Yagoda said:

It rained so hard two days ago it overflowed the pool.

Heavy rain in Cambodia? 

[jacnl2000]

Many Chinese tourists travel during the Chinese Labor Day holiday (May 1st) and the Golden Week in early May. After these holidays end, there is usually a dip in outbound travel because most tourists return home.

 

Outside major holidays, Chinese travelers tend to take fewer trips. May is typically a regular working month without many school breaks, reducing leisure travel.

 

Peak travel seasons like Chinese New Year and summer holidays offer more promotions and group tours. In May, tour operators might reduce packages, making it less appealing to tourists.

 

In short, the May drop mostly reflects the transition between holiday peaks and the onset of Thailand’s rainy season, combined with regular travel patterns from China. Rain in my little village seems to arrive a little bit late this year...

 

Love charts:

 

 

 

 

 

[Yagoda]

2 hours ago, Dan O said:

Heavy rain in Cambodia? 

Whats your point, troll?

[What to do now]

Thailand needs to put a strong focus on promoting  the things in Thailand that ARE family and tourist friendly. At the same time clamp down hard on any violent or criminal activities from visiting tourist or expats. Banning and jailing any offenders. 

 Until then the global view will be that Thailand is unsafe and only a place for sex tourist. Which is a shame because beyond the "red light " areas Thailand is a beautiful place to visit with some amazing temples,beaches, and landmarks to visit. 

[vukovar77]

The Thai baht is too strong, immigration rules are annoying and change often, and new tax policies for foreigners, rising prices, very expensive healthcare, and double pricing are some of the reasons as well. Vietnam, Cambodia even China are cheaper now. Thailand is not tourist-friendly like it was before.

[JamesPhuket10]

On 5/16/2025 at 4:01 AM, ChipButty said:

For the last 2 years in May the weather has been good, very hot, I know because my daughter has been here so I remember it well, we are in the south of Phuket, it's different this year a lot more rain, 

 

True, for the previous two years the month of May were horrible in Phuket, too hot and little rain.

 

I have been in England for the last two months so the news that there is a lot more rain in Phuket this year is great, lets hope the reservoirs are full again in Phuket next month after I return from my holiday. 👍

 

But I will be looking forward to some heat again as it is only 21c in the South of the UK at the moment, I have to wear a jacket when out.

 

[thjames007]

On 5/16/2025 at 8:09 AM, Upnotover said:

 

Yes, strange that, it's obviously a thing there.....

 

Have always had to wear in Sanctuary.   It's been under renovation for as long as I can remember. 

[thesetat]

On 5/16/2025 at 9:22 AM, MalcolmB said:

It is still under construction, when complete the helmets will be unnecessary.

Knowing Thailand though. They will never stop keeping under construction due to the loss of income renting helmets for visitors. Quite a thriving business venture. 

[phetphet]

On 5/16/2025 at 9:27 AM, sandyf said:

Indeed. 

Headline sensationalism.

Yes. European school summer holidays start around end of June. Numbers should pick up then until beginning of September.

 

It''s always quieter around this time of year.

[KhunLA]

Wow, tourist numbers drop at the end of high season and beginning of raining season, how's that possible 

 

So strange that has happened every year, thankfully.   Why we play tourist mostly during rainy season, as almost everything is better without tourist.   Reads more like TAT is trying to up their budget.

[hotchilli]

On 5/16/2025 at 7:39 AM, webfact said:

Thailand's tourism sector faces a pressing situation as foreign arrivals nosedive, with both leisure and corporate travellers dwindling.

Maybe TAT's idea of saturation tourism puts off as many as it attracts?

[cdemundo]

On 5/16/2025 at 7:59 AM, FlorC said:

The picture suggests that construction in Thailand is so bad that Chinese visitors wear a 

helmet to walk around. 

 

That is a photo of "The Sanctuary of Truth" which requires visitors to wear a hard hat because it is perpetually under construction (by design and intent). Always new sculptures etc. being added.

I know your post was meant as a joke, but this is one of the most popular/famous sight-seeing destinations in the Pattaya/Chonburi area, it deserves a little promotion.

 

 

[JensenZ]

On 5/16/2025 at 7:39 AM, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Xinhua

 

Thailand's tourism sector faces a pressing situation as foreign arrivals nosedive, with both leisure and corporate travellers dwindling.

 

Former TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn stresses urgent reform is needed to revive the industry and proposes the creation of new destinations to attract higher-quality visitors. Visitor numbers have dropped 1% as of May 11, with particular declines from key markets like China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

 

Yuthasak notes China, typically providing 900,000 visitors per month, now sees daily arrivals plummet to 13,739, contributing to the overall drop of daily foreign entries to under 60,000.

 

Additionally, the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) segment recorded a 15% international market decline, with revenue shrinking by 21% in the first quarter of 2025. Southeast Asian markets, excluding Myanmar, similarly report a reduction in arrivals.

 

The former TAT head underscores a need to rebuild trust and elevate Thailand's hospitality. Recently, the World Economic Forum ranked Thailand 47th in the Travel & Tourism Development index, noted as the sharpest decline regionally, stressing the decline in safety and security.

 

Competitorial strengths in these areas highlight the nation's need for improvement and diversification towards new offerings.

 

Yuthasak advocates for attracting high-spending tourists, focusing on health, wellness, and business travel mingled with leisure as a strategy.

 

The emphasis lies on transitioning from a demand-driven to a supply-driven approach, crafting high-value tourism products and stimulating satisfaction to distribute tourism income fairly among communities.

 

Implementing these strategies is seen as pivotal to halting the decline and restoring Thailand's standing as a premier tourism destination.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-16

 

 

I visited the Sanctuary of Truth in late January, which was crowded. They cherry-pick a photo with few people in it, near losing time or opening time, perhaps.

[frank83628]

15 hours ago, Thailand said:

Kidnapping incidents linked to scam centers along the Thai-Myanmar border have significantly impacted Thailand's tourism industry, particularly affecting Chinese tourists. These kidnappings are often carried out by Chinese-speaking gangsters who lure victims with fake job offers or other schemes, then smuggle them across the border to work in scam operations in Myanmar.

 

Friends in HK and China have confirmed this.

 If people are kidnapped after being lured with a fake jobs,  they were coming for work, not tourism.

Sounds ridiculous