China still largest source of Thai tourism

China has been the top source of foreign tourists to Thailand during the Golden Week holiday thanks to the multiple stimulating measures, as the numbers have risen sharply, bringing an estimated revenue of nearly 5 billion baht ($149 million), the Thai tourism authority has revealed.

More than 160,000 travelers from China chose Thailand as their holiday destination during the National Day Golden Week, a nearly 34 percent increase compared with the previous week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, said.

After China, Malaysia, India, South Korea and Laos have been top sources for the kingdom's inbound tourism between Sept 30 and Oct 6, Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said on Tuesday.

"The recovery of inbound tourism in Thailand can be attributed to multiple stimulating measures, such as preferential visa policy, improved logistics and also increase in the international flights," he said.

"We welcome more Chinese tourists and also worldwide tourists to visit Thailand," TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said.

During the National Day Golden Week, the number of direct flights — a total of 1,097 from China to Thailand — has improved by 70 percent compared with the same period last year, according to TAT.

Meanwhile, the number of flight bookings from China to Thailand during the holiday period has increased 250 percent year-on-year, according to travel data firm ForwardKeys.

Of the 43 Chinese cities offering direct flights to the kingdom, Shanghai ranks top in terms of numbers, followed by Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming and Beijing.

"We will keep encouraging airlines to increase flights between China and Thailand, providing more convenience to travelers from different regions of China to visit Thailand. This will also help to bring more Thai tourists to China at the same time," said Thapanee.

Visa policy boost

Since the implementation of the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand from March 1, people-to-people exchanges have been boosted over the past months. As of Sept 22, more than 5.1 million Chinese tourists had visited Thailand this year.

As the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports is revising its 2025 plan to improve the competitiveness of its tourism industry, experts are calling for more proactive measures to stimulate tourism in the long term, given that unexpected events such as the recent flood may impact the industry.

"The government should make flexible plans to tackle these changes and work closely with the private sector and companies for sharing ideas. A mechanism should be established for a regular gathering of decision-makers and representatives from the industry, revising plans to prevent loss of markets," said Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

He also said that Thailand should be able to attract more high-spending tourists, focusing on wellness and medical tourism. The government should also ensure access to funding for small tourist operators as this group has been slow in recovering compared with the bigger players.