Tourism Thailand Rethinks Tourism Strategy After 34% Plunge in Chinese Arrivals

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Kasikorn Research Centre

 

Thailand's tourism sector is in a bind as Chinese visitor numbers slump, forcing tourism bodies to reassess targets and boost their efforts to attract tourists.

 

In the first half of 2025, arrivals from China plummeted by 34%, with only 2,265,556 visitors recorded, putting China behind Malaysia, which welcomed 2,299,897 despite a smaller decrease of 5.58%.

 

Overall, the country accommodated 16,685,466 international tourists during the first six months of 2025, marking a 4.66% year-on-year decline. Sisdivachr Cheewaratanaporn of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) predicts Chinese arrivals might reach only 5 million this year, significantly below the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) earlier target of 6.9 million.

 

“If we market effectively and stimulate demand, we might see up to 6 million visitors,” Cheewaratanaporn explained. “But that’s still less than the 6.7 million we had in 2024.” Despite the downturn, Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, President of ATTA, emphasised China's continued importance to Thailand's tourism economy, stating, “Reducing our reliance completely is difficult.”

 

The government is being urged to take swift action to restore confidence among Chinese tourists. “It’s quite slow now; half the year has passed,” noted Cheewarattanaporn. “The private sector cannot work in isolation; the government must step in.” Following the Cabinet's approval of a ฿3.96 billion economic stimulus budget, TAT is planning to dedicate funds to strengthen the charter flight market from China.

 

ATTA awaits a clear strategy to coordinate marketing activities for the rest of the year, a challenging task given global uncertainties and changes in Chinese travel patterns. To address this, ATTA will spearhead the Roadshow to China 2025 campaign from 27 July to 2 August, visiting Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Hangzhou.

 

This initiative aims to reconnect Thai tourism operators with Chinese travel companies, promoting destinations and services through business matching. The move seeks to revive demand in the wake of COVID-19 disruptions and shifts in Chinese consumer habits, which led to a 30 to 40% drop in early 2025 arrivals, as reported by The Nation.

 

The effort underscores Thailand's urgent need to adapt its strategies to return to pre-pandemic tourism levels while navigating an evolving global travel landscape.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-08

 

 

[gk10012001]

What stopped me the last few years was the airfair.  The EVA premium economy seats that used to cost me 1500 are now 2400 with seat choice.  I am coming later this year for sure as I am semi retired and am glad to no longer see those mass chinese hordes.  Man that was weird back in 2018 and 19.  Hotel prices are OK.  The exchange rate of course as others have written is bad compared to 44 to1 USD back in 2004.  For a while it went up near 37 which was ok but now down at 33 or less, that hurts real buying power.  Hotel prices are OK although many original middle class basic but nice hotels no longer exist.  Eastiny Place for example.

[gk10012001]

well, Thailand over built as they prepped for the previous mass tourism.  So many little places put out of business.  Like so many things, Thais rush to every new shiny thing or attempt to make money or a living.  Remember when the fish tank clean your feet and legs thing started? Nothing basically wrong with that but they do it to excess.  Should follow buddhism precepts and do things more in moderation

[BarraMarra]

Oh dear thai tourism chiefs running round like Headless chickens because the Chinese arn't arriving. Why do they rely on them. They should go back to what they do best forget all this highend tourism get arses on the bar seats by looking to give discounts to European tourists for once the chinese goose has flown.

[daveAustin]

Nearly 17M in six months is still too many for Thailand. It clogs the place up. They should be aiming for a sustainable 20M per year or less, max 1M Chinese. 

[Gsxrnz]

Probably something to do with the fact that the Chinese economy is in the toilet, unemployment and business closures at record highs, declining industrial profits, and an ageing population reducing domestic consumption. 

 

I could be wrong. 

[Quentin Zen]

Pattaya and Phuket is the money maker.   180 day stamp for everyone, and if you have a criminal record an extra 30 days.  if outstanding warrant, and extra 90 days.   more tats, more days.   I can't wait to see what will be the new tourist strategy.

[Zack61]

I believe a more beneficial target would be a 64% reduction . 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's tourism sector is in a bind as Chinese visitor numbers slump, forcing tourism bodies to reassess targets and boost their efforts to attract tourists.

Upgrade the tired infrastructure, clean up Pattaya and Phuket, stop treating tourists as cash-cows and people might come back.

[angryguy]

If the chinese stay gone i may consider staying here

[Formaleins]

Maybe better to aim for about a 31.9% reduction in Chinese tourists, whatever percent drop they minimize it down to, it isn't going to balance out the 36% Tariff that "The Donald"   has slapped them with. Time to recalculate how many plane loads of scrimping tight ass Chinese tourists are needed to balance the books, maybe bring in a few thousand more Indians and Pakistanis just to get a bit more profit.

[J Branche]

Yuan down 10% against Baht while

Up 4% against Vietnamese currency.

Complaining about not making money off China Tours, Wet Season, Kidnappings, earthquake in Bangkok and Chinese Tour Company are pushing Vietnam because Chinese like a bargain and it's the in place right now.

[JJ-Thailand]

Less Chinese in Thailand. 😁😁😁

[renaissanc]

Thai governments should be preparing to replace tourism with other industries. One day, the Golden Goose of Tourism will die. Then what?

[dlclark97]

To STIMULATE tourism from many countries the Thai Baht versus many other currencies needs drastic improvement.  My own 'disposable' income is down well over 11% from recent past exchange rates.  Am sure it is the same for many foreign currencies.  More toilets, overpriced attractions, dodgy transportation services and so much more are not going to increase tourism.  Temporary promotions will do very little to increase tourism.  Giving foreigners real value for their money would do a lot more.

[factual monk]

I'm not Chinese but moving to Vietnam for next One year... currency exchange has become obnoxiously high in  🇹🇭  

[BarraMarra]

8 minutes ago, renaissanc said:

Thai governments should be preparing to replace tourism with other industries. One day, the Golden Goose of Tourism will die. Then what?

The Golden Goose flew before Covid renaissanc. The tourist board was warned to end the reliance of Chinese Tourism numbers but they decided to make it harder for other Countrys to come and visit whilst giving out visas to Indian and Russian tourists as well as lucrative benefits to bring more Chinese into Thailand. It is clear for all to see what there ignorence has done in todays incoming tourists figures.

[Stocky]

I was in Malaysia last week, locals there are complaining about the number of Chinese tourists since Malaysia gave China visa free travel. Probably where TAT's missing Chinese are going.

[kevin612]

The baht is too strong , wait until it drops.  By the way, Thailand is not cheap

[John Drake]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The government is being urged to take swift action to restore confidence among Chinese tourists. “It’s quite slow now; half the year has passed,” noted Cheewarattanaporn. “The private sector cannot work in isolation; the government must step in.”

 

Translation: Moe! Larry! Do something! Flip switches, move levers, push buttons, turn dials!

[WHansen]

A 90 day visa free policy will sort their problems out 🤣

[thesetat]

34 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Translation: Moe! Larry! Do something! Flip switches, move levers, push buttons, turn dials!

I think you will find that the private sector is the main cause with the government being the secondary cause for the lack of tourists. The people are not all smiles anymore and get angry easily then react harshly. Then you have the government or police or other authorities that do nothing when there is a problem until it is claimed on social media, then they react harshly and quickly with actions that only affect the foreigners. ( like the trains banning all alcohol after a train worker raped and killed a passenger and dumped her from the train because he was drunk.) 

Then there is the problem about VIsa's. Thailand is doing everything they can to make visas harder to obtain and keep. New rules added or changed almost quarterly in a year. The PM went to China to assure them it is safe for them to travel but within a couple weeks more Chinese missing and more Chinese scammed by Thais. All posted in the Chinese social media showing just how safe it is to be in Thailand for real. One can not blame the Chinese for seeking out a better and cheaper country to take holiday at. 

TAT is the worst politically, everything they say is a guess shown as fact. They do not have a clue what to do. 

[Will B Good]

 

I think reintroducing that 300B tourist tax would boost tourism, along with a more complicated TM6, and more days when alcohol sales are banned.

 

That should do the trick....oh and a general, across the board, price increase on everything to make up for the downturn .

[Magictoad]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Upgrade the tired infrastructure, clean up Pattaya and Phuket, stop treating tourists as cash-cows and people might come back.

You ate mistaken. People are flooding in especially to Pattaya; the Indians have replaced the Chinese, thank goodness, they are a lot more fun and independent.  The Chinese are herded around like sheep; no fun at all.

[Will B Good]

 

 

Just been looking at the condo rents in BKK........unbelievable how much the prices seem to have dropped.

 

Is this just down to the Chinese downturn??

[DonniePeverley]

I have spoken to mamy Chinese people in and around Vietnam when i was there .... safety, marijuana drugs, and too many indians was a complaint i always got. 

 

Thailand needs to rethink it's whole 'visa free' policy. 

 

And needs to clean it's image up. 

 

 

The whole DTV fiasco has let in a criminal lot into the country. 

[bkk6060]

Chiang mai use to be their hub.  Now, very little it seems.  I think it is more like 70% lower.

[factual monk]

7 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

I have spoken to mamy Chinese people in and around Vietnam when i was there .... safety, marijuana drugs, and too many indians was a complaint i always got. 

 

Thailand needs to rethink it's whole 'visa free' policy. 

 

And needs to clean it's image up. 

 

 

The whole DTV fiasco has let in a criminal lot into the country. 

Indians are traveling to Vn in huge numbers... and why will Chinese complain about Indians in Thailand... ? They both are same in mannerisms 

[BarraMarra]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

 

Translation: Moe! Larry! Do something! Flip switches, move levers, push buttons, turn dials!

John TAT will roll out a spokesman with the usual  " TAT " Predicts a large influx of chinese visitors in the next few months with upto 50 Million baht taken in Revenue.

[MarkBR]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of Kasikorn Research Centre

 

Thailand's tourism sector is in a bind as Chinese visitor numbers slump, forcing tourism bodies to reassess targets and boost their efforts to attract tourists.

 

In the first half of 2025, arrivals from China plummeted by 34%, with only 2,265,556 visitors recorded, putting China behind Malaysia, which welcomed 2,299,897 despite a smaller decrease of 5.58%.

 

Overall, the country accommodated 16,685,466 international tourists during the first six months of 2025, marking a 4.66% year-on-year decline. Sisdivachr Cheewaratanaporn of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) predicts Chinese arrivals might reach only 5 million this year, significantly below the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) earlier target of 6.9 million.

 

“If we market effectively and stimulate demand, we might see up to 6 million visitors,” Cheewaratanaporn explained. “But that’s still less than the 6.7 million we had in 2024.” Despite the downturn, Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, President of ATTA, emphasised China's continued importance to Thailand's tourism economy, stating, “Reducing our reliance completely is difficult.”

 

The government is being urged to take swift action to restore confidence among Chinese tourists. “It’s quite slow now; half the year has passed,” noted Cheewarattanaporn. “The private sector cannot work in isolation; the government must step in.” Following the Cabinet's approval of a ฿3.96 billion economic stimulus budget, TAT is planning to dedicate funds to strengthen the charter flight market from China.

 

ATTA awaits a clear strategy to coordinate marketing activities for the rest of the year, a challenging task given global uncertainties and changes in Chinese travel patterns. To address this, ATTA will spearhead the Roadshow to China 2025 campaign from 27 July to 2 August, visiting Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Hangzhou.

 

This initiative aims to reconnect Thai tourism operators with Chinese travel companies, promoting destinations and services through business matching. The move seeks to revive demand in the wake of COVID-19 disruptions and shifts in Chinese consumer habits, which led to a 30 to 40% drop in early 2025 arrivals, as reported by The Nation.

 

The effort underscores Thailand's urgent need to adapt its strategies to return to pre-pandemic tourism levels while navigating an evolving global travel landscape.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-08

 

 

Also the obsession with 'quality' tourists  (translation - tourists with loads of money) & denigration of those who are not deemed to be 'quality' tourists.  Maybe treat all as welcome except criminals who should have already been weeded out via the TDAC.