Tourism Tourist Arrivals in Thailand Drop by 5%

[snoop1130]

Photo courtesy of Thai Newsroom

 

Tourist arrivals in Thailand have taken a notable hit, dropping by 5% last week following the resolution of the Thai-Cambodian clashes, Thai Rath reported, based on data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). This decline contrasts with a 1% increase during the conflict the previous week.

 

Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, highlighted that last week's arrivals were also 18% lower than the same period last year, falling from 708,061 to 585,841 tourists. This downturn reflects heightened security concerns amongst potential visitors.

 

The most affected regions were ASEAN and Northeast Asia, known for their sensitivity to regional conflicts. The ASEAN market witnessed a 25% drop, with countries like Cambodia experiencing a staggering 89% decrease. Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore also saw declines ranging from 8% to 53%. In contrast, there was a noticeable increase in visitors from Myanmar (11.47%) and the Philippines (1.63%).

 

Northeast Asia faced a 30% contraction, with China (40%) and Hong Kong (33%) being significantly impacted. Both South Korea and Taiwan saw a drop of 17%, though Japan registered a mild increase of 3.43%.

 

Despite these declines, some markets continued to grow. Indian tourist numbers rose by 16%, with Pakistan and Bhutan seeing increases of 35% and 52%, respectively. European visitors from Austria, France, Ireland, and Sweden showed growth, with the UK, Italy, and Eastern Europe also recording moderate increases.

 

The Middle East market thrived, particularly Israel with a 54% jump, alongside Oman and the UAE. Visitor numbers from Australia climbed by 8.75%, while Africa saw a 14.44% increase.

 

Looking ahead, TAT has observed negative trends in forward bookings, signalling potential challenges for the rest of August 2025. Before the clashes, bookings for August were slightly up by 0.4% compared to 2024. Yet, post-clash figures reveal a 2.7% drop, with cumulative bookings dropping to 657,014 seats.

 

Ms. Thapanee acknowledged the impact of the unrest on Thailand’s safety reputation, especially in fragile markets. The TAT has devised a communication plan to rebuild confidence, specifically targeting high-growth potential markets.

 

The tourism sector’s resilience is now tested as it navigates through these turbulent times. With strategic efforts, the TAT aims to restore confidence and attract tourists once more, ensuring Thailand remains a top destination for global travellers.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom 2025-08-13

 

[ronnie50]

Most people make their long-distance holiday plans months in advance though. So it's unlikely anything happening in the last month changed the outcome much. Some could cancel or change I guess, but I doubt many did or would. 

[Ralf001]

Re-classifing cannabis as a narcotic will help boost those numbers.

[ozz1]

Most tourists come here for thecheap holiday but with the conflict at the border and  the baht resisting change  its going to get worse  vietnam is the in place at the moment and its cheap Most people book months ahead so its going to interesting when the high season comes

[blaze master]

20 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Re-classifing cannabis as a narcotic will help boost those numbers.

 

No it won't.