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Tourism
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10 Apr 2023
PM2.5 crisis could get much worse if it is not quickly dealt with... Read more
11 Jan 2023
The Chinese authorities’ relaxation of quarantine rules for inbound travellers, cancellation of limited number of passengers on international flights from January 8, 2023, and resumption of the application and renewal of passports for Chinese residents, would benefit Thailand's tourism industry. As evidenced, following this easing, lots of Chinese people are interested in searching for Thailand travel information.... Read more
27 Dec 2022
After the Chinese government began easing domestic lockdown measures in November 2023, it recently announced the relaxation of inbound travel restrictions, effective January 8, 2023, which is sooner than expected by observers. Therefore, it is most likely that Beijing will allow Chinese nationals to resume outbound travel as usual within the first half of 2023 on an important condition that the current wave of COVID-19 is within control and does not put a strain on the country’s public health system. ... Read more
21 Dec 2022
It is expected that Thailand’s tourism will be busy once again after a two-year hiatus as more Thais intend to travel in the country while foreign travelers are planning to visit Thailand during the upcoming New Year 2023 festive season. As a result, cash flows in travel-related businesses here may reach roughly THB30 billion from December 30, 2022 to January 2, 2023, amounting to around 50 percent of the total amount reported during the same period of 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic). ... Read more
9 Dec 2022
2023 international arrivals projected to reach 20.0-24.0 million amid several challenges that lie ahead ... Read more
15 Nov 2022
Active domestic tourism at year-end; full-year 2022 domestic tourism projected to reach 150.8 million trips (Current Issue No.3359)... Read more
19 Oct 2022
Hotel and lodging business, 2022: Recovering gradually, but at a meager pace ... Read more
29 Apr 2022
Thailand is one of many countries that have significantly eased entry requirements on international arrivals, considering the country’s current COVID-19 situation. According to the Asia travel-readiness index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Thailand was one of the highest-scoring countries, ranking fourth among 28 countries and special administrative regions in Asia with the best ease of travel. Moreover, the easing of travel restrictions on May 1, 2022, will allow fully vaccinated travelers to forego the RT-PCR test and reduce their COVID travel insurance requirement from USD 20,000 to USD 10,000. At the same time, 31 land border checkpoints across 17 provinces will be reopened to enable overland crossings.... Read more
8 Nov 2021
Thais have been found to begin taking more domestic trips after the government relaxed lockdown restrictions, lifted a ban on inter-provincial travel, bolstered the vaccination rate, and introduced measures, aimed at stimulating domestic travel. A survey on domestic travel demand shows that more than 73.7 percent of the respondents in Bangkok intend to take domestic trips the most. Therefore, if the government can ensure that there is no severe resurgence of COVID-19, this will be a boon for domestic travel during the upcoming high season. ... Read more
15 Oct 2021
It is now certain that Thailand will reopen to international tourists with no quarantine requirements from November 1, 2021. Under the plan, fully vaccinated foreign visitors will need to show that they are COVID-free at their time of travel with a test undertaken before they leave their home country, and do a test in Thailand, too.... Read more
18 Aug 2021
International tourism is experiencing a new wave of challenges again as many countries have been hard hit by the highly contagious Delta coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, with a rising number of infections. As a result, many countries have tightened border controls and issued an advisory warning against international travel. Such measures are set to adversely affect global travel ahead. Although several countries have implemented the vaccine passport system to help ease travel-related obstacles, several conditions enforced by certain countries, including foreign tourists must be given a specific type of COVID-19 vaccine before being allowed to enter their countries, and quarantine requirements for tourists from high-risk countries even though such tourists have already received COVID-19 vaccines, will inevitably derail the recovery of international travel, including Thailand’s. KResearch projects that the number of international tourists will contract 45 percent YoY in 2021 to 220 million, compared to the 399 million reported for 2020. ... Read more
1 Jul 2021
On June 29, 2021, the Ratchakitcha website (Government Gazette) published “Thailand’s Tourism Reopening Scheme”, which comes into effect on July 1, 2021. Cooperation among the related parties allowed the second phase of the reopening plan to move forward according to plan on July 1, 2021. Provinces involved in the pilot program include Phuket (starting July 1, 2021) and Surat Thani in the areas of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan (starting July 15, 2021). ... Read more
12 Apr 2021
The third wave of COVID in 2Q21 presents bad news for travel-related businesses that had begun to bounce back following the latest resurgence of COVID-19 towards the end of last year. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of Thais travelling in the country during February 2021 surged more than 30 percent against that reported in January 2021 when the domestic travel market was adversely affected by the second wave of COVID-19. As a result, Thais made only 4.51 million domestic trips in January 2021. Due to the third wave of COVID-19, which was a result of more infection clusters than the previous round, particularly in Bangkok and other provinces in early April, the government had to reimpose lockdown restrictions and seek cooperation from people to work from home and avoid inter-provincial travel once again.... Read more
20 Jan 2021
Domestic travel is imperative in driving Thailand’s tourism in 2021. Unfortunately, it has slowed down again since the beginning of 2021 due to the resurgence of COVID-19. As a result, the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has reimposed stringent COVID-19 restrictions, especially in the provinces classified as high-risk zones. The CCSA has also sought cooperation from the general public to avoid or delay inter-provincial travel until January 31, 2021.... Read more
9 Dec 2020
Thailand’s inbound tourism in 2021 has begun to see positive news, regarding significant progress on the COVID-19 vaccine development, and its planned use with people in many countries by the end of 2020. In addition, Thailand has signed an advance agreement with a pharmaceutical firm to secure supply of its COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to be available after 2H20. Such developments represent good signs in combating the COVID-19 pandemic ahead.... Read more
27 Oct 2020
After the government managed to successfully contain the spread of COVID-19 and issued stimulus packages like the ‘We Travel Together’ campaign to boost domestic tourism, the number of Thai tourists traveling domestically markedly increased. Based on data provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of domestic travelers from July to September 2020 averaged at 24.3 million person-trips, which is a significant increase from 3.9 million person-trips from April to June 2020. The data is in agreement with the survey conducted by KResearch which reflects the trend from July to September 2020: 60 percent of the sample group went on either an overnight trip or a day trip, while the remaining 40 percent has yet to travel.... Read more
18 Jun 2020
The COVID-19 situation in Thailand has improved to the extent that the government has eased lockdown measures on interprovincial travel, public transport systems, airports and tourist destinations, allowing services in these sectors to return to normal. On June 16, 2020, the Thai cabinet approved three packages to promote domestic tourism, with an implementation period from July until October 2020.... Read more
30 Apr 2020
An improvement in the COVID-19 situation is being seen in Thailand as the number of new infections nationwide has declined steadily while no new cases were found in many provinces for many days. This represents a positive sign for the country and if no new infections are found, people and businesses should be able to gradually resume their normal activity going forward. Regarding domestic travel, the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a big blow to local tourism supply chains amid substantial declines in the number of international and local tourists. ... Read more
24 Jan 2020
The outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (n-CoV) that originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, in late 2019 has caused more patients to sicken and the death toll has risen. Meanwhile, more confirmed cases have been found in other Asian countries, including Thailand, and the US. The Chinese authorities locked down transport activities in Wuhan and nearby cities on January 23, 2020 to prevent further spread of the virus.... Read more
16 Jan 2020
The market for Chinese tourists in 2020 deserves close attention as many risk factors remain. The number of Chinese holidaymakers in Thailand rebounded late last year to register a positive growth after a contraction in 1H19. However, the rise is partly attributed to political violence in Hong Kong which rerouted the Chinese tourists’ destination from Hong Kong to other countries.... Read more
22 Oct 2019
During October-December 2019, 76.9 percent of people living in Bangkok have planned to travel, up slightly from the survey in the same period last year; 22.2 percent of the sampled group said the government’s tourism stimulus measures (in October-November 2019) affect their decisions to travel.... Read more
10 Oct 2019
Europe is Thailand’s important foreign tourist market because a large number of European tourists tends to visit Thailand during the final quarter of every year. In addition, they typically take long vocations here and help generate substantial income for travel-related businesses.... Read more
20 Aug 2019
On August 20, 2019, aside from the extension of visa-on-arrival fee waiver for Chinese and Indian citizens, which is scheduled to expire at the end of October 2019, to the end of April 2020, the Cabinet also approved a number of measures, aimed at stimulating domestic tourism. These include: 1) A 1,000-Baht cash handout to be allocated to the first 10 million people, who register via an application developed by the Ministry of Finance. Qualified recipients must be at least 18 years old and they are required to visit destinations outside their home provinces. The measure requires a budget of THB10 billion; 2) A 15 percent cash rebate of up to THB30,000 on their tourism spending. The registration is open from September 23 to November 15, 2019. The recipients must use those rights from September 27 to November 30, 2019. These measures are part of the second round of tourism stimuli after tax measures, which expired on June 30, 2019.... Read more
13 Aug 2019
The standoff between the authorities and protesters in Hong Kong since June 2019 has escalated to the airport shutdown last weekend from August 9-12, 2019. Flights were cancelled with chaotic effects spreading out across the island. Although the airport reopened on August 13, 2019, uncertainty still persists because the political demonstrations are expected to continue. The gridlock does not only impact the business confidence in Hong Kong’s economy but also causes disruption at one of the world’s busiest airports, affecting outbound Hong Kong holidaymakers that includes those planning on coming to Thailand.... Read more
28 Jun 2019
In 1H19, inbound tourism slowed due to various factors; whereas, the overall number of tourists and slowing growth rate were as expected (party due to high base effect in 2018), in spite of some differences in details in each market. For example, the number of Chinese tourists is lower than expected partly because of the cooling Chinese economy as a result of the US trade war with China, and the Thai Baht has gained strength versus Chinese Yuan currency. At the same time, Chinese tourists have more tourism destination choices to choose from now while other countries are trying to appeal to international tourists, especially the Chinese, by highlighting their attractions as well. An extension of the fee exemption for visa on arrivals has also promoted the growth of international tourists from other countries as there has been a surprising surge in the number of Indian tourists coming to Thailand... Read more
9 Apr 2019
The anticipation toward Songkran this year has been dampened by the air pollution in the northern part of Thailand. At any rate, since the smog in the north had continued for some time, tourists have adapted to the situation and adjusted their travel plans to other areas. Meanwhile, the drought in many provinces has prompted holidaymakers to change their Songkran activities in line with the prevailing circumstances. Overall, Songkran this year should see a buoyant atmosphere as usual in both key tourism cities and secondary provinces. This should boost the Thai tourism business. KResearch views that travel activities of both Thai and international tourists during the week-long Songkran (April 11-17, 2019) will generate earnings for tourism and related businesses worth approximately THB28 billion, up 2.2 percent YoY.... Read more
28 Feb 2019
The intensifying tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir two weeks ago has led to the airspace closure in northern Pakistan and parts of India, being the key air route between Europe and Thailand. In the past, conflicts of any magnitude between the two countries were seen to affect only areas where the disputes took place and have limited impact on their economies as the two sides could eventually resolve the issues. Claims over Kashmir, however, are complex, meaning that India and Pakistan may lock in a dispute again.... Read more
24 Dec 2018
Tourism activities in the last five days of 2018 or between December 28, 2018 and January 1, 2019 are expected to generate THB47.43 billion of tourism revenue, up by 9.3 percent over-year, according to an estimate by KResearch. The buoyant sentiment from both local and international holidaymakers is attributed to the government’s supportive measures together with marketing promotions by hospitality companies. ... Read more
26 Nov 2018
Since early 2018, Bangkokians have recorded more domestic trips, which have been stimulated by the government’s policy to promote secondary cities via tax deduction measures, along with active campaigns of both public and private sector to introduce new tourist spots in Thailand. For the last quarter of the year, Bangkokians’ trips are expected to rise in terms of the numbers of persons and trips.... Read more
6 Nov 2018
At present, the fast-paced business world is fuelled largely by digital disruption. The tourism and hospitality business is one of the industries that has experienced a rapid evolution in the past decade, with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) emerging to become a force to be reckoned with. The OTA business is driven by key global players which are poised to increase their presence and attach greater importance to the Asian region. The evidence is the value of merger and acquisition deals by the two OTA juggernauts in the Asian region; it represents 41 percent of their global M&As worth THB440 billion.... Read more
12 Oct 2018
KResearch views that after the growth of inbound tourism in 3Q18 registered the lowest rate of the year, Thailand’s inbound tourism market should pick up in 4Q18 with approximately 9.56 million international travelers expected to visit Thailand, up 3.0 per cent YoY. This is because the last quarter is the holiday season in Thailand. In addition, Thai tourism is bolstered by international events hosted by Thailand during this time of the year. Additionally, Thailand’s key markets such as Russian and Chinese tourists are likely to improve when compared to sluggish activity in 3Q18.... Read more
23 Aug 2018
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ data, the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand in July 2018 dropped 0.9 percent over-year to a total of 930,000 persons. In contrast, the tourism receipts from the Chinese segment rose 4.5 percent over-year to THB51.38 billion. A slight slowdown is expected for August, but the government has implemented some promotional campaigns, while the hotel and accommodation operators, as well as retail traders, have used intensive marketing tactics to attract more Chinese voyagers during their National Day holiday in early October. Given the above scenario, KResearch views that the Chinese tourist market will likely pick up, and the number of Chinese holidaymakers in Thailand may reach 10.9 million for the entire year of 2018 (compared to the previous estimation of 10.6 million), equal to growth of 11.2 percent versus the 12.0-percent pace in 2017. For total receipts, they will likely amount to THB602.01 billion, rising 14.8 percent over-year compared to the 15.8-percent increase in 2017. KBank has compiled Chinese tourists’ behaviors as follows: • Based on a survey of Chinese tourists toward their preferred destinations in Asia, Thailand remains their top destination, with a share of 27.0 percent of the survey respondents. After Thailand, most favorite destinations are Japan (18.8 percent), Maldives (14.5 percent), Hong Kong (14.3 percent) and Singapore (9.6 percent). • Around 53.0 percent of Chinese tourists travel with tour agencies, while the free independent tourists (FIT) constitute a share of 47.0 percent of the respondents. It has also been found that Chinese coming to Thailand for the first time make up 78.0 percent of the respondents, while the revisiting group represents 22.0 percent. Most of the first-time visitors have learned about Thailand from agencies’ recommendations, friends/relatives who had already been here, and from tourism websites such as Mafengwo and TripAdvisor. • The largest part of expenses goes to goods purchases, then food and healthcare service such as massage and spa. • The most popular goods for Chinese buyers are cosmetics/skincare creams, followed by food and processed fruits, Thai traditional medicine/herbs, for example, massage balms, apparel and souvenirs. • Chinese visitors prefer to use cash to pay for their goods and services. However, payments via China’s financial applications, especially Alipay and WeChat Pay, are almost as popular as cash. Chinese tourists view that the possibility of pay via such applications has resulted in an increase of their spending by 81.8 percent, given the convenience of not having to exchange money and discounts granted by the merchants. ... Read more
22 Jun 2018
The 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia is interrupting the consistent flow of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand. According to statistics of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the number of Russian visitors in Thailand over the first five months of 2018 surged 21.4 percent over-year to reach 802,496 persons. Meanwhile, a drop of 13.0 percent YoY was recorded for May, and this downtrend may continue through the period of the world’s largest football tournament. This trend is also similar to many other countries, because it would appear that Russians prefer to stay home at this moment.... Read more
11 Apr 2018
KResearch expects domestic travel in Thailand in the first half of 2018 to continue its boom, driven by various factors including “Go Local” campaign and the long holiday during Songkran festival. Thais are going back to their hometowns to reunite with their families and celebrate Thai New Year, while taking leisure trips during their homecomings as well.... Read more
26 Dec 2017
The upcoming 2018 New Year holiday should invigorate Thai tourism further as more international and Thai tourists will take vacations here d... Read more
2 Oct 2017
The Thai Premier's visit to the US, October 2-4, 2017, on an invitation by President Donald Trump, is expected to forge strong... Read more
25 Aug 2017
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has reported that during the first seven months of 2017 (7M17), 20.41 million tourists came to Thailand, ... Read more
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