It seems Thailand is back on the menu for tourists after a challenging couple of years. The country welcomed its tenth million visitor in early December, marking a substantial increase from 427,000 visitors in 2021.
In addition to over 10 million visitors, the tourism industry generated a revenue of 1.5 trillion Baht, which stands at 50% of pre-pandemic levels.
Global digital travel platform, Agoda.com, called Thailand’s success in early 2022. In its list of most popular destinations (based on data from pre-booked trips), it placed Bangkok first and Pattaya eighth in the rankings.
Whilst Bangkok regains its place as one of the world’s most popular destinations, Pattaya is emerging as an entertainment paradise and favoured holiday location. Hotel occupancy rates in the city reached almost 90% on weekends and bank holidays last year.
Moreover, with the massive expansion of the U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport, the future looks bright for this up-and-coming resort.
From then until now: Thailand’s road to recovery
With many travel restrictions still in place at the start of 2022, Thailand’s visitor numbers for the year are certainly something to celebrate. It wasn’t until halfway through the year that the government made the decision to significantly loosen restrictions—yet in July, the country was already seeing as many as 47,000 visitors a day. It appears that Thailand remained top of the list for the world’s travellers, despite restrictions.
Up until October international travellers were still required to show proof of vaccination or test results on arrival. October also saw the extension of visa-free access in Thailand from 30 to 45 days.
It comes as no surprise, then, that tourist numbers leapt 43% in October compared to the previous month, with a total of 3.1 million foreign tourists visiting the country.
In place until 31 March, Thailand’s new “no-visa” rules are set to boost the country’s tourism industry right into 2023 with the promise of longer stays, increased spending, and greater tourist numbers.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimated that over 3 million domestic trips would take place during the New Year holiday between 31 December 2022 and 2 January 2023, generating 11.2 billion Baht in revenue.
TAT has also revised forecasts of 18-20 million to 25 million visitors in 2023 after China eased COVID-19 travel restrictions. Chinese tourism is a major market in Thailand and will no doubt have a substantial impact on this year’s figures.
Some believe that Thailand will see a full recovery in 2024 with 40 million tourists, as seen in 2019. As a result of increased visitor numbers, the economy is expected to grow by 3.6% next year.
Therefore, the future looks bright for Thailand’s travel and tourism industries, as well as its wider economy. Those with property in the region (particularly as a rental investment) will no doubt find themselves in an even greater position in the years to come as Thailand regains its position as one of the top travel destinations on the planet.
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