Foreign visitor arrivals to Thailand are estimated at 13.6 million, down nearly 7% from 14.6 million last year, due largely to local political strife and the global recession, according to the latest forecast by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata).

Pata chairwoman Phornsiri Manoharn said political havoc in April and periodic protests were to blame for the slump of foreign arrivals to Thailand this year.

According to a former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), foreign visitors remain concerned over their safety travelling in Thailand and have shifted to safer destinations.

Wary Chinese tourists in particular, who were expected to flood to Thailand this year, changed their destination to Taiwan.

Pata projected foreign visitors to Thailand in 2010 would grow by 4% to 14.1 million. The best case is 14.3 million or a 6% increase from this year’s estimate.

via Arrivals seen falling by 7%.

About the author

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get notified of our weekly selection of news

You May Also Like

Chinese tour groups are heading to Thailand

High-ranking TAT executives, Chinese officials, and members of the Thai public and business sectors all attended a welcoming ceremony on February 6th.

Thailand Beats 2022 Tourism Target With 11.15 million Foreign Arrivals

The figure was higher than expected and represents a significant improvement for Thailand’s crucial tourism sector, which had been severely hampered by the pandemic’s rigorous entrance and quarantine regulations.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Expects 25 Million Visitors in 2023

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects at least 8 million foreign tourists to visit Thailand in the first four months of this year and is confident that the country will meet its target of welcoming 25 million visitors in 2023.