Tourist decline after earthquake
Mr. Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, Chairman of THA, said that after the earthquake, the number of tourists requesting early check-out at hotels nationwide increased by 8-10%, especially in major tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Ayutthaya.
Some tourists have changed their plans to less affected destinations such as Pattaya and Phuket. However, safety concerns after the earthquake may cause many international tourists to delay or cancel their plans to visit Thailand in the near future.
Revenue from hotels and tourism activities is forecast to decrease by at least 10-15%. Mr. Thienprasit also said that the impact of the earthquake could be prolonged, affecting the atmosphere of Songkran festival - the traditional Thai New Year, making the tourism atmosphere less vibrant than two years ago. It is expected that it will take at least a month for the situation to return to normal.
The 30-story State Audit Office building collapsed in the earthquake, killing 12 people, and was warned by the anti-corruption watchdog about violations during construction. It is known that only 30% of the project items have been completed.
Safety concerns
The collapse of the State Audit Office building in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district following an earthquake has raised concerns about construction irregularities. Images and videos of the collapse have gone viral on social media, prompting tourists to question the safety of buildings in the country.
Mr. Thienprasit stressed that the government needs to take strict measures to ensure the safety of tourists during the upcoming Songkran festival season. He also called for measures to support people affected by natural disasters.
In addition, the security situation in Thailand in the first months of 2025 has also caused many concerns. Incidents such as the disappearance of Chinese actor Xing Xing near the Thai-Myanmar border, the crackdown on phone scam gangs, concerns about the repatriation of Uyghurs to China and most recently the earthquake have significantly affected Thailand's tourism image.
“If security problems continue, Thailand's tourism industry may not recover and will suffer long-term impacts,” he warned.
The government needs to take strict measures to ensure the safety of tourists during the upcoming Songkran festival season.
The goal of attracting tourists is affected.
Thailand aims to attract 39 to 40 million foreign tourists in 2025. However, after the earthquake, Mr. Thienprasit said the actual number may only reach the same level as last year, about 35.54 million visitors.
Faced with this situation, the Thai government is planning to implement measures to stimulate domestic tourism to offset the decline in international arrivals. One of the proposals is the “Tiew Thai Khon La Khrueng” co-payment program, which will give domestic people more incentive to travel.
Strengthen hotel safety inspections
To restore tourists' confidence, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered inspections of hotels nationwide. Accordingly, THA has coordinated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to mobilize more than 4,000 engineers to check the quality and safety of the buildings.
The TAT is expected to publish a list of hotels that have met safety standards. Large hotels with their own teams of technicians can quickly conduct inspections, while small hotels may have financial difficulties in doing so. Therefore, Mr. Thienprasit proposed that the government subsidize the cost of safety inspections for small-scale accommodation establishments.
“Safety must be put first to ensure sustainable tourism development, because we have lost many international tourists due to safety issues,” he stressed.
THA has coordinated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to mobilize more than 4,000 engineers to check the quality and safety of buildings.
According to him, Chinese tourists - one of the largest tourist groups in Thailand - are tending to choose Japan over Thailand because they feel safer. Therefore, the Thai government needs to learn from Japan's safety management measures to regain the trust of tourists, not only from China but also from other international markets.
