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

[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 

 

 

 

[daveAustin]

Beyond the obvious, it also doesn’t help with visitor confidence when the erratic government constantly changes entry requirements—the silly online arrival card (why change an easy system?)—and harps on about taxing foreigners. 

[wensiensheng]

18 hours ago, gejohesch said:

I have been living in my wife's village in Isaan for 17 years, about half the year each year, and of course I have gone to a number of places all around Isaan. Here are bits of my experience:

 

- There are not many sites really worth visiting. I have become sick beyond words of going to tacky and garish concrete temples!

- I have not gone to parks for an eternity. Double pricing irks me. It's always too damn hot and often run down. I remember going to see the Erawan waterfalls, I got disgusted with the number of Thai tourists everywhere, OK sure it's their country but the lack of space, food and drinks leftovers and so on - that did not make it attractive! And btw, the waterfalls are really nothing compared to a number of waterfalls I have seen in Mexico, for example. You take any of the several 100's of waterfalls around Iguaçu/Iguazu and it beats Erawan hands down.

- Cities are usually not walkable. Not only because of the heat, but also because there is really not much to see. Nothing like one of the 1000's of lovely cities in Europe, or the colonial cities of Mexico. Hell, even Copacabana in Rio, with no historic site whatsoever, is infinitely more walkable than, say, Khon Kaen.

- Of course, there are exceptions. I enjoyed walking along the Mekhong River in Nong Khai, for example. But tell me: is there any city between Bangkok and Nong Khai which is worth stopping in for 1 or 2 days? I would like to know!

 

There are several other angles to the tourism issue, and other regions than Isaan.  I would not have much to add to all that has been said in previous replies. My overall impression is that Thailand does not have enough to qualify as the "Number 1 tourist destination in the world".

Yep, the beaches used to be the big draw and Bangkok was a bit of a blast for a few days. But the average provincial city has nothing much to see, certainly no more than all the other average provincial cities in Thailand.

 

Having ruined most beach areas through over building and allowing nearby sleaze night life, there isn’t really much that Thailand has to sell. Changmai was the big alternative to the beaches, but that has long since been ruined.

 

i’d be happy to do a short break trip to Hua Hin with a group of friends to play on the various golf courses, but aside from that, I’m not sure what else I could recommend.

 

It’s a great shame, but there it is. All that’s left is the sex pat business and those tourists who want a week ensconced in a 5 star resort with a spa. 

[wensiensheng]

10 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Beyond the obvious, it also doesn’t help with visitor confidence when the erratic government constantly changes entry requirements—the silly online arrival card (why change an easy system?)—and harps on about taxing foreigners. 

 

10 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Beyond the obvious, it also doesn’t help with visitor confidence when the erratic government constantly changes entry requirements—the silly online arrival card (why change an easy system?)—and harps on about taxing foreigners. 

Well the tax thing isn’t really a tourist issue. That’s applicable to residents, not tourists

[Yagoda]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

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.

 

Source? Where did you cut and paste from? Yourself from 2023 or 2024? Same stuff over and over? You have a library of cuts and pastes? Plagiarized then just pasted as your own.?

[hotsun]

6 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Source? Where did you cut and paste from? Yourself from 2023 or 2024? Same stuff over and over? You have a library of cuts and pastes? Plagiarized then just pasted as your own.?

He has a folder on his computer with hundreds of text files, mostly about trump. I would say 10% of his posts are original content. Very strange

[Yagoda]

1 minute ago, hotsun said:

He has a folder on his computer with thousands of text files. I would say 10% of his posts are original content. Very strange

Its not strange, he is a leader here of the Trump hate cadre: lying and coordinated talking points are their tactic.

[What to do now]

On 5/15/2025 at 9:10 PM, KhunBENQ said:

The Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya is a wooden self-made construction and helmets are mandatory.

No helmet no entry (guess you rent it at the entrance).

Nothing to do with Chinese.

Even the girls on social media do their selfies with helmet.

They will tell you because of ongoing construction you need to wear a helmet. After taking the guided tour I did see many Thai and tourist take them off without anyone making a fuss. 

[Scooter123]

Thailand stands as a shining example of grace, hospitality, and enduring tradition in Southeast Asia. It is a nation of warmth and beauty—safe, vibrant, and welcoming to all who journey to its shores.

 

But let us understand this: when we visit a foreign land, we are guests. And in Thailand, we walk not on our own ground, but upon Thai soil—rich with history, guided by custom, and rooted in deep respect for order and civility.

 

It is not our place to bring disorder or indulgence. Thailand is not the stage for reckless abandon or drunken spectacle. Rather, it is a place where dignity, decorum, and decency prevail—and so must we.

 

Let every traveler take heed: honor the rules, observe the etiquette, embrace the tradition. And in doing so, you will not only have a pleasant adventure—you will carry home a deeper appreciation for the Thai spirit.

 

And to the hardworking Thai people—many laboring six days a week, ten hours a day—we owe not only our admiration but our consideration. Bargain if you must, for it is part of the culture. But do not leave the table without a token of gratitude. Leave a tip—for Christ’s sake, leave a tip.

 

For in respecting others, we elevate ourselves. And in treating our hosts with honor, we become ambassadors not only of goodwill—but of decency, civility, and peace.
sincerely 

Scot Abplanalp 

 

Mods edit - I have corrected the font size. Please don’t post in oversize font as per forum rules.

[Photoguy21]

In countries that are seeing an increase in tourism the tourist authority should take a close look at what they are doing. Maybe then they will see what is causing the downturn for Thailand. It wont just be a single factor, it will be a combination of several things. TAT needs to look at all the factors and see how they can at least equal them or better them. Sitting and complaining that tourism is decreasing without looking at the reason why is ridiculous.

Look at what attracts and promote similar. Look at what is harming the tourism in Thailand and scrap it or at least radically modify it.

Thailand has all the tools to make it the greatest destination on earth but no use having the tools if you don't use them.

[Zapitapi]

On 5/16/2025 at 10:26 AM, McTavish said:

Not only low season but also China is almost in recession with a fast collapsing economy.  Nationals not only find it difficult to afford travel but have to jump through hoops to be allowed out.

 

Vietnam gained a few tour groups as it's far cheaper to visit but even that market will decline.

nah.. china isnt collapsing ..watch less CNN..china is just fine