Thailand pushes to stimulate international tourism demand amid prolonged decline

By VNA September 29, 2025 | 07:32 pm PT

Tourists ride a tuk-tuk in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, May 16, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Thailand will focus on stimulating inbound tourism over the next months, targeting key markets or countries experiencing a decline in visitor numbers, including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Thailand aims to attract at least 2 million tourists from China over the next four months, as part of the country's recovery initiative for the tourism sector, according to Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao.

Meanwhile, Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, revealed that he has set both short-term and long-term goals to boost economic development through tourism, focusing on restoring international tourist arrivals to around 40 million, and taking measures to stimulate domestic tourism demand.

Sirilathayakorn stated that to boost domestic tourism, the country plans to relaunch previously successful programs, such as the "co-payment scheme" and "We Travel Together" initiatives which remain valid until Oct. 31, 2025.

To ensure the Ministry of Tourism and Sports becomes a revenue-generating body for Thailand's economy, it will concentrate on both tourism and sports, he stated, adding that hosting the 33rd SEA Games presents a key opportunity to showcase Thailand's readiness on the international stage.

Thailand received 3.23 million Chinese tourists between Jan. 1 and Sept. 14, 2025.

The full-year tally is expected to reach nearly 5 million, down from 6.7 million in 2024 and well below the pre-Covid record of more than 11 million in 2019.

In August, the state planning agency cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 33 million from 37 million.

There was a record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the pandemic.