BANGKOK — The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is pushing forward with plans to develop Thailand’s hot springs into international-standard spa towns, hoping to compete with Japan’s famous onsen resorts.
Ms. Nattareeya Thaweewong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, revealed that a 2023 survey identified 118 hot springs throughout Thailand. Of these, 71 are located in the North, 32 in the South, 12 in Central Thailand, and 2 in the Eastern region. These are categorized as isolated natural hot springs (12 locations), hot springs in natural areas (33), rural hot springs (63), and urban hot springs (10).
“The government aims to develop these natural assets into tourist attractions, elevating them to European-style ‘Spa Towns’ or Japanese-style ‘Onsen Towns,'” said Thaweewong. “Our concept connects hot springs with nearby attractions to create an international Thai hot spring brand and distribute income to secondary cities.”
The Strategy and Planning Division of the Ministry’s Office of the Permanent Secretary has compiled nationwide hot spring statistics and usage popularity. San Kamphaeng Hot Springs in Chiang Mai province has been selected as the prototype model for development.
Currently, the Department of Tourism is in the process of signing a contract to hire consultants for studying and designing the project. Chiang Mai province, which owns the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs area, is in the procurement process, with contract signing expected on June 24.
In 2023, San Kamphaeng Hot Springs attracted 384,619 visitors, generating 3,504,510 baht in revenue. The Department of Tourism has reported that development is proceeding according to their master plan, divided into three phases:
- Phase 1 (2025-2027) focuses on infrastructure and facilities development with a 197 million baht budget,
- Phase 2 (2027) will develop health tourism facilities with 253 million baht, pending Phase 1 results,
- Phase 3 will focus on improving local quality of life with sustainable development mechanisms.
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