Thai Tourism: Is the Downward Trend Here to Stay? [S7.E74]

Greg and Ed discuss the recent troubling decrease in overall Thai
tourism numbers. In general, since COVID, the Thai tourism
industry has bounced back quite well, and projections were that
2025 numbers would exceed the pre-COVID peak of 39 million
visitors. However, starting at the end of last year, numbers
didn't meet expectations, and since then the dip has become more
severe.


So what happened? The guys cycle through several different
factors. First, the earthquake at the end of March certainly
didn't help matters, with many tourists canceling their trips for
the Thai New Year in April. Second, and perhaps more concerning,
several security incidents affecting Chinese tourists has led to
a bit of a backlash in the largest source of tourists to
Thailand. In particular, a Chinese celebrity was kidnapped and
held for ransom, sparking fears that Thailand was not safe.
Further, numerous stories of Burmese and Cambodian scam call
centers that press foreigners into service have magnified the
problem.


Ed notes that while overall numbers have dipped, the numbers from
most Western countries have risen in accord with projections.
Hence, the problem is limited to Asian tourists. Greg points out
that the 'White Lotus Effect' might be the kind of thing that
sparks interest in Westerners, but not in Asians, who may already
feel familiar with a tropical climate and many aspects of Thai
culture. 



Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as
well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook,
you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website
(www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you
need to know.