Photo courtesy of Thai Newsroom

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects a boost in domestic travel over the December 5-7 holidays, forecasting 2.52 million trips and generating 10.3 billion baht in revenue. This period includes celebrations for the birthday anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, which is observed as a National Day and Father’s Day. We anticipate an average nationwide hotel occupancy of 68% due to enthusiastic travel sentiments.

 

The long weekend, early cooler weather, and government initiatives that promote local tourism support the promising outlook. We expect domestic tourists to contribute about 42% of hotel occupancy, underscoring the impact of these measures. The most popular regions among Thai travellers include the Central region, Northeast, and East, with the East expected to generate the highest revenue of 2.72 billion baht.

 

Thai visitors are showing a preference for major cities like Bangkok, Chonburi, and Chiang Mai, with emerging destinations such as Suphan Buri and Udon Thani gaining traction. TAT observed that travel behaviour will mainly consist of short-distance trips with a focus on leisure, dining, and merit-making activities to honour the late King’s birthday. This aligns with a survey by the Tourism Council of Thailand, where 56% of Thais expressed plans to travel during this period.

 

Families are opting for short trips, with 23% staying in their province and 25% visiting neighbouring provinces without overnight stays. Business operators anticipate benefits, particularly for restaurants and accommodation providers.

 

Several factors are boosting the domestic travel scenario, including government tourism incentives, special events, and better weather conditions. Conversely, challenges such as rising living costs, increased outbound travel, and flood impacts in the lower South remain concerns. Notably, some areas in Hat Yai, Songkhla, are still dealing with tourism disruptions due to flooding, reported The Nation.

 

Key Takeaways

 

TAT estimates 2.52 million domestic trips and 10.3 billion baht revenue.
Travel behaviour favours short-distance, leisure-focused journeys.
Government incentives and cooler weather support travel growth.

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Bangkok Ranks Fifth in Global Tourist Destinations

Thailand Welcomes Over 28 Million Tourists in 2025

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Nation 2025-12-02

 

 

 

Family friendly ! Wheelchair users welcome ! 

Waiting for 00:01am on December 8 when they will announce the exact amount, up to a few satang after the decimal point, how much was spent during those 3 days.

On 12/2/2025 at 11:42 AM, webfact said:

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects a boost in domestic travel over the December 5-7 holidays, forecasting 2.52 million trips and generating 10.3 billion baht in revenue.

I guess all the civil servants will be taking advantage of the holiday... while the minions carry-on serving them