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: