According to MNG Online, the tourism industry in Thailand is experiencing significant growth, with a total of 9.47 million foreign tourists visiting the country from the beginning of the year until May 15. The main markets driving this growth are East and South Asia, as well as ASEAN countries. Tourist expenditure during this period reached 391 billion baht. In order to sustain this momentum and meet targets, relevant agencies are being encouraged to enhance their operations, particularly focusing on key markets such as China.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand this year could reach 5.3 million, and with favorable conditions, this figure could potentially rise to 7 million. Aerothai, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co. Ltd., reported a substantial increase in flights from China, with 12,805 flights arriving in Thailand during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (October 2022 to April 2023), indicating a 98% year-on-year growth. This surge followed the Chinese government’s decision to allow travel companies to organize overseas tour groups starting from February 6, 2023.
Aerothai anticipates a continuous increase in Chinese flights, estimating 5,330 flights in May, 6,090 flights in June, 7,150 flights in July, 7,460 flights in August, and 7,340 flights in September, totaling 46,175 flights for this fiscal year. However, Trisulee Trisoranakul, deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, noted that this projected surge in Chinese flights is still 66% lower than the total number of arrivals in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
To accommodate the growing number of passengers, the Transport Ministry is actively resolving the temporary issue of a shortage of ground staff at Suvarnabhumi Airport to ensure smooth services. Additionally, Airports of Thailand (AoT) is in the process of selecting a third party to handle ground services at Suvarnabhumi Airport, alongside the two existing parties, aiming to further reduce delays in luggage handling.
(Source: – Thai Newsroom)
