Thai tourists shun South Korea due to strict immigration policy

Thai tourists are switching to other destinations to avoid being rejected by immigration authorities in South Korea, said Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, as quoted by Bangkok Post.

Some 119,455 Thais visited South Korea between January and April, or 2.5% of total foreign arrivals to the Northeast Asian country, according to data from the Korea Tourism Organization

In 2023, 379,442 Thai tourists visited South Korea, accounting for 3.4% of the country’s 11 million international arrivals.

Many Thai tourists have complained they’ve been denied entry to the country and/or have suffered scrutiny by South Korean immigration authorities despite holding valid documents.