Vietnamese tourists to Thailand have dropped sharply like never before.

The number of foreign visitors to Thailand has dropped sharply, especially from Vietnam and East Asian markets, making the country's tourism industry anxious.

Thailand needs to urgently address the sharp decline in foreign arrivals, which has been more pronounced this quarter for both leisure and business travelers, by reforming the industry and creating new destinations, worries Yuthasak Supasorn, former head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Foreign arrivals to Thailand fell 1% this year through May 11, driven mainly by declines from East Asian markets, which typically account for 60% of arrivals, according to the Bangkok Post .

Roads are almost empty at Pathumwan intersection during Thai New Year. Thailand's tourism industry has been facing a continuous decline in tourist arrivals since the beginning of this year.

Specifically, visitors from China, Hong Kong and South Korea decreased by 31%, 20.8% and 14.9% respectively.

In addition, the Southeast Asian tourist market decreased by 2.2%, of which Vietnam decreased by 15%, which is unprecedented. Vietnam has always been among the largest international tourist markets of Thailand, contributing more than 1 million arrivals each year.

Chinese tourists used to average 900,000 a month, or 30,000 a day. But in the first four months of this year, only 13,739 Chinese visited Thailand each day, Mr. Yuthasak said.

Total daily arrivals have fallen to below 60,000 this year, down from an average of 100,000 before the pandemic.

Furthermore, the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segment also declined in the first quarter of 2025, with international markets down 15% and revenue down 21% year-on-year.

“We must stop this downward spiral and end the crisis in Thailand’s tourism industry, bring tourists back and take this opportunity to restructure to attract higher quality tourists,” Mr Yuthasak urged.

The reason for the decline in international arrivals to Thailand is believed to be related to safety issues, so rebuilding the country's image is necessary but not enough to restore the market, because the hotel service industry also needs to be improved to regain tourists' trust.

Tourists wearing traditional Thai costumes while visiting Wat Arun in Bangkok

Mr Yuthasak said fundamental development in the industry has been neglected for many years, as evidenced by the Travel and Tourism Development Index conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2024.

According to WEF, Thailand ranked 47th in the rankings, down 12 places, the sharpest drop among Southeast Asian countries, with average scores lower than the region in all pillars.

In terms of safety and security, Thailand dropped a sharp 16 places, while demand for travel and tourism also dropped 59 places.

Competitors have a higher reputation than Thailand in terms of safety, so the government should accelerate improvements in the sector for tourists by upgrading both products and services, Mr Yuthasak stressed.

According to Vi Nguyen (TNO)

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/khach-viet-nam-den-thai-lan-giam-manh-chua-tung-thay-post323908.html