Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post  via The Thaiger

 

Tourism in Hat Yai is expected to need 1-2 months for full recovery following severe flooding that has hit the area. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported that the main source market, Malaysia, could see a reduction of up to 55% in December arrivals, leading to an overall annual decrease of 11%. TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool noted December’s Malaysian arrivals are predicted to be 205,000, dropping 55% compared to last year, with a revenue dip of 54%, generating 4.4 billion Thai baht.

 

Flooding in many southern provinces, particularly in Hat Yai, has significantly contributed to this slump. The TAT projects a decline in annual arrivals to 4.38 million, an 11% drop from the previous year. As a result of the flooding, foreign visitor numbers for the year could fall by 8% to 32.8 million, with potential revenue losses of 1.52 trillion Thai baht, a decrease of 5% year-on-year. The flooding also destroyed key economic zones, including Kim Yong Market in Hat Yai, necessitating urgent restoration efforts.

 

Public health and waste removal are the primary focus of these restoration efforts, given the long-term impacts and crisis management concerns among locals. The relocation of sports events like the SEA Games to Bangkok and changes in tourism activities could damage the region's image and travel confidence. December is projected to see 3.2 million foreign tourism arrivals, according to TAT estimates, despite recent challenges.

 

The flooding has led to a decrease in forward air ticket bookings by 3% year-on-year, with only five markets showing growth: the US (13%), Israel (11%), the UK (9%), and both Russia and Italy at 8%. The German market emerged as the leader in seat bookings, commanding 9.1%, followed by the UK, South Korea, the US, and Russia. An additional factor affecting international arrivals is the strong Thai baht, which can influence spending plans and destination choices unfavourably compared to others.

 

For the domestic market in December, a slight contraction of 1% in local trips is expected, with revenue falling 2% to 109 billion baht. Bangkok is anticipated to generate the highest revenue during this period at 25 billion baht, a decline of 4.5%. The South is still feeling the effects of the flooding, with an expected revenue drop of 1.6% to 17.6 billion baht. Overall, the domestic market may see less revenue year-on-year due to cautious spending, international competition, and recent natural disasters.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Hat Yai requires 1-2 months to recover, with Malaysian arrivals dropping 55%.
• Flooding impacts are expected to lower foreign visitor numbers by 8% this year.
• Strong Thai baht affects international tourism, influencing spending and choice.

 

Related Story:

Anutin Sets 14-Day Deadline for Hat Yai Flood Recovery

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-12-17

 

 

 

"Hat Yai Tourism Faces 2-Month Rebuilding After Flood Impact"- just tourism?  What about the rest of the southern economy and people's daily lives?  5 major hospitals are still essentially closed; many educational facilities are still closed; important infrastructure is still not functional; people are still unemployed as their workplaces have been destroyed or severely damaged; etc.

 

Great to see the Bangkok Post focusing on tourism; but what about the daily lives and well-being of the tens of thousands of Thais who still cannot get back to normal?

MySawasdee has been cancelled again this weekend due to flood recovery.

 

Maybe the Thai military could help with cleanup, repairs, etc.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourism in Hat Yai is expected to need 1-2 months for full recovery following severe flooding that has hit the area. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has reported that the main source market, Malaysia, could see a reduction of up to 55% in December arrivals, leading to an overall annual decrease of 11%. TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool noted December’s Malaysian arrivals are predicted to be 205,000, dropping 55% compared to last year, with a revenue dip of 54%, generating 4.4 billion Thai baht.

You're <deleted> kidding me, the place is still a total shambles. About 80 to 90% of the city was under at least 1m of water, the city is still cleaning up. There are piles of rubbish street side, that rebuild every time they're cleared. The 'Christmas decorations' in the trees are plastic bags and other flood detritus. Most of the city centre, favoured by Malaysian visitors, was totally trashed and remains closed, many shops and restaurants probably won't reopen. 

 

TAT might be surprised to discover that tourism isn't the main topic of discussion down here.

On 12/17/2025 at 3:28 AM, webfact said:

Hat Yai requires 1-2 months to recover,

 

But Anutin the expert on the matter  claims 2 weeks should be enough, good luck with that Anutin.