Thailand's Foreign Arrivals Slip in Q1 of 2025; Govt Cites Safety Concerns

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Thailand recorded 12.09 million arrivals between January and April 2025, a slight decrease of 0.26 percent compared to the same period last year.

Despite the declining number of foreign tourists, tourism revenue was up 5.24 percent year-on-year. Nation Thailand reported that the revenue from foreign tourists reached 576.85 billion baht, equivalent to around Rp290.8 trillion.

The Songkran Festival, which usually attracts visitors throughout April, did not have a significant impact. The number of foreign visitors to the kingdom in April dropped by 7.6 percent from last year to 2.54 million tourists.

Safety Concerns

Many tourists canceled their plans to visit Bangkok during Songkran in mid-April due to safety concerns. Thailand was affected by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar  at the end of March.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong stated that since the beginning of 2025, the arrival of tourists from several major markets, such as China, had dropped, with a major contributing factor being the poor safety image of Thailand. 

"Many recent negative reports stem from misleading information, particularly when translated into other languages like Chinese and English," he said, as reported by Nation Thailand. However, he assured that not all reported issues reflect the actual situation. "Some involve  scams targeting foreigners to work illegally in Thailand, not genuine tourists."

Ensuring Tourists' Safety

The Thai Ministry of Tourism has worked closely with the Tourism Police and other relevant agencies to ensure the safety of all visitors. He assured the public that comprehensive security measures are being implemented.

He also addressed concerns about the high prices of goods and services related to tourism, such as hotels, tourist attractions, and flights. However, he explained that the focus should be on value and fair prices, not on cheap destinations. While airfares have increased globally, Thailand is exploring measures such as cutting fuel tax for flights and increasing chartered flights to offset costs for tourists.

During the first four months of this year, China remained the largest source of visitors to Thailand, with 1.64 million, followed by Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea.

Thailand targets 38-39 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, but some in the industry have said that this target may not be achieved due to the decline in Chinese visitors and concerns about regional and geopolitical security issues.

Editor’s Choice: 5 Best Places to Enjoy Songkran Festival in Phuket, Thailand

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