BANGKOK — The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has called on the government to take immediate action to protect tourist safety as the country faces its worst tourism crisis in recent memory, with foreign visitor numbers dropping significantly in the first half of 2025.
THA President Teinprasit Chaiyapatranun revealed alarming statistics showing foreign tourist arrivals fell 4.66% to 16.68 million visitors during January-June 2025, compared to 17.5 million in the same period last year. The decline marks an unprecedented five-month consecutive downturn that has left the hospitality industry reeling.
The Asia-Pacific region, traditionally Thailand’s largest source market, experienced the steepest decline at 12.01%. China, the country’s top tourism market, saw arrivals plummet 41.94% in June alone, with a 34.13% decrease for the entire six-month period showing no signs of recovery.
“I have never seen such a drastic drop,” Chaiyapatranun stated. “In the past, after major accidents, tourist numbers would decrease but then recover. However, this year, the decline has been continuous for five months.”
Other key Asian markets including Malaysia, South Korea, Laos, Indonesia, and Taiwan all recorded significant decreases. Even countries showing overall growth for the first half of 2025, such as the United States and Japan, experienced declines in June.
Bright spots emerged from longer-haul markets, with Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) growing 11.92%, Europe up 16.64%, and the Americas increasing 10.37%. However, these gains failed to offset losses from the crucial Asian market.
The THA president expressed frustration that while outbound travel from countries like China and Japan has increased, fewer visitors are choosing Thailand as their destination, indicating deeper structural issues affecting the kingdom’s tourism appeal.
Following discussions with Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong, Chaiyapatranun acknowledged government promises of immediate action but emphasized that intervention should have come much earlier.
“The government must erase the damage to the image that has occurred and conduct proactive public relations,” he said. “We must seriously adjust now. If we don’t do anything, Thai tourism will surely face difficulties in the future.”
The association highlighted critical safety and service issues that require urgent government attention, including persistent problems with taxi drivers refusing to use meters and the need for serious crackdowns on call center gangs targeting foreign visitors.
“The most important thing is to build confidence that traveling in Thailand is safe,” Chaiyapatranun emphasized. “The government must solve the clear problems of foreign tourists being cheated in Thailand.”
The tourism crisis represents a significant challenge for Thailand’s economy, with the sector traditionally contributing approximately 12% of the country’s GDP before the pandemic. The sustained decline threatens thousands of jobs across the hospitality, transportation, and service industries.
Industry leaders are calling for comprehensive reforms to restore Thailand’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination, warning that without decisive action, the country’s tourism sector faces an uncertain future in an increasingly competitive regional market.
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