Thailand saw a tourism deficit with Japan for the first time during the first half of 2023. From January to June, 497,700 Thai tourists visited Japan, while only 326,347 Japanese nationals arrived in Thailand. This is a significant change from 2019, when Thailand welcomed 1.88 million tourists from Japan and 1.78 million travelers from South…
Thailand is taking steps to boost its tourism industry by shortening the visa approval period for Chinese tourists, Thailand’s largest source market which took 20% of total international visitors in 2019. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) has urged the Department of Consular Affairs to reduce the visa approval period from up to 15…
During the initial quarter of 2023, international tourism in Southeast Asia experienced a relatively subdued growth rate. Nevertheless, despite the advent of April marking the onset of the low travel season, tourism activities within the region persist in exhibiting encouraging indications. Increase in total number of international visitors The total number of international arrivals to…
According to a recent report of Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the country’s unemployment rate in the first quarter fell to the lowest level in three years thanks to the strong recovery of the tourism industry. In Q1 2023, Thailand’s unemployment rate stood at 1.05%, lower than the level of 1.15% in…
Data from National Tourism Departments in South East Asia in March 2023 showed better signals over the previous two months. In general, there was an increase in inbound tourists compared to January and February, except for a slight decrease in Vietnam (Cambodia hasn’t updated). The growth rate of international visitors of the whole region in…
Chinese tourists account for the majority of the international tourism market in Asian countries. However, it was not until January 2023 that China opened up to tourism. One month later, it announced plans to open tours to just 20 countries. As of March 15, China will resume pilot group tours to 40 other countries, including…
Thailand will officially apply tourist tax to international visitors from June 1 this year. Specifically, visitors arriving by air will pay 300 Baht (about 9 USD), and this tax is included in the air ticket. Those who arrive by water transportation or land will pay 150 Baht (4 USD). In particular, the year-round tax is…
According to statistics, the United States and China have had the most number of visitors applying for Thailand’s 10-year visa since the program started on September 1. More than 1,600 people have registered for a new tourist visa, according to Narit Therdstreerakul, secretary general of Thailand’s Board of Investments (BOI). Up to now, the majority…