The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports released a report on the 16th, stating that from January 1 to September 14 this year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand dropped by 7.08% compared to the same period last year.
The report pointed out that in the first quarter of this year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand was about 23 million, with Malaysia being the largest source market at 3.28 million visits, followed by China with 3.23 million visits.
In August this year, Thailand's national planning agency lowered its forecast for the number of foreign visitors this year from 37 million to 33 million. Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, the number of tourists reached a record of nearly 40 million.
The Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports believes that the decline in the number of foreign tourists is related to competition in the tourism industry from neighboring countries, such as the rise of Vietnam’s tourism industry, which has diverted some foreign tourists. On the other hand, it is also related to factors such as the appreciation of the Thai baht, public opinion regarding tourism safety in Thailand, and rising hotel prices.