According to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, from January 1 to May 11, the country welcomed 12.9 million international visitors, down 1.04% over the same period last year, Bangkok Post reported.
China - which is considered the locomotive of the international market - decreased by 31% in the number of visitors, the Hong Kong market (China) decreased by 20.8%, and the Korean market decreased by 14.9%.
Previously, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest proportion, peaking at 11.13 million in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Thailand once welcomed up to 900,000 tourists from China per month, equivalent to about 30,000 visits per day. However, in the first four months of the year, only about 13,737 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, according to Yuthasak Supasorn, former Director General of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) - currently serving as Chairman of the Industrial Real Estate Administration of Thailand (IEAT).
The Southeast Asian international tourist market will decrease by an average of 2.2%, of which the number of Vietnamese visitors will decrease by 15%. Thailand's only Southeast Asian market is Myanmar, which is growing at around 13.5%.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong warned that the tourism industry of the land of the Golden Temple is getting closer to a crisis, with the number of visitors from source markets decreasing since the beginning of the year, according to Nation Thailand.
He also warned that Thailand is suffering from a wave of negative media, which if not handled promptly could seriously damage the national image.
Concerns about the safety of tourists in Thailand have increased in recent months, especially after the kidnapping of Chinese actor Vuong Tinh in January 2025.
In April, Thailand's average hotel room occupancy rate fell to 63%.
Mr. Thienprasit Chaiyaphatranan, Chairman of the Thai Hotel Association, said that most hotel owners predict that the number of international visitors in the second quarter will decrease compared to the same period last year and the number of Chinese visitors is expected to decrease by more than 30%.
Earlier this year, the Thai tourism industry was confident with the goal of welcoming 40 million visitors - a record for 2019. Expecting to welcome 37-38 million international visitors this year, but the tourism industry of this country has adjusted the target down to 35.5 million visitors - by 2024.
In the worst case scenario, the Chinese tourism market could fall to 4-5 million, compared to the initial target of 8 million.
However, if the situation is stable and tourism confidence is restored, this figure could reach 6.7 million, equivalent to last year, according to Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool - General Director of the Thai Tourism Authority.
In the face of this crisis, the General Department of Tourism of Thailand is preparing a stimulus plan to submit to the Government and is expected to be discussed at the cabinet meeting in mid-2025.
