Photo courtesy of The Mango Road

 

Thailand's tourism sector is experiencing divergent trends between short-haul and long-haul markets, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launching initiatives to boost arrivals.

 

Despite efforts to rejuvenate the tourism industry, short-haul bookings from June to December have dropped significantly. According to Forwardkeys, these bookings have decreased by 22% year-on-year in Asia and the South Pacific, and by 16% in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania. Most notably, bookings from East Asia have plummeted by 25%, with Chinese routes suffering a steep 40% decline.

 

In the first half of the year, Thailand welcomed 16.6 million foreign tourists, of which 11.1 million were short-haul visitors, falling short of their 2025 target of 28.2 million.

 

Conversely, long-haul markets show promising momentum, with 5.5 million tourists arriving in the first half alone. Chiravadee Khunsub from TAT highlighted that Thailand is on track to meet its annual target of 10.7 million long-haul tourists. Forward bookings for the third quarter show growth, rising to 713,491 seats from last year's 677,211, with expected increases from Europe, the Americas, and Africa. However, Middle East bookings may drop by 9% due to geopolitical tensions.

 

To combat these challenges, TAT plans a 750-million-baht subsidy scheme, "Summer Blast China & Overseas Market," aiming to draw over 790,000 visitors within a year. Thai Lion Air, showing interest in this initiative, is keen to boost passenger numbers, particularly from Indonesia, India, and China, despite seeing only a 60-70% load factor on Chinese routes.

 

Lufthansa Group is also considering the TAT proposal. Anlee Do, General Manager for the region, stated that they’ll evaluate the offer before committing. Currently, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines maintain daily operations in Thailand and plan to increase flights during the European high season to meet demand.

 

TAT’s proactive measures and collaborations with airlines could be pivotal in reviving Thailand’s tourism sector, balancing the decline in short-haul markets with the growth seen in long-haul arrivals.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-09

 

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launching initiatives to boost arrivals

lol. Just as well axe the tat. 
How about this: tempt the Chinese with free visas? 

Oh wait! 😁

Is short -haul the same as short -time?Need to know.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

of which 11.1 million were short-haul visitors, falling short of their 2025 target of 28.2 million.

Maybe not set such a high target and just quote reality ?

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand's tourism sector is experiencing divergent trends between short-haul and long-haul markets

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

short-haul bookings from June to December have dropped significantly

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Conversely, long-haul markets show promising momentum

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

To combat these challenges, TAT plans a 750-million-baht subsidy scheme

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Lufthansa Group is also considering the TAT proposal.

 

So the intent is to boost short haul flights, but TAT might subsidize Lufthansa, which only operates long haul flights to Thailand? What am I missing? 🤔