For years it's been generally accepted that tourism represents 10% of the Thai economy. However, this article from The Financial Times suggests that it's now twice that figure. Tourism has doubled in the past six years and officials claim it should reach 60 million annually by 2030, straining the industry and infrastructure to keep pace.

 

https://www.ft.com/content/a6ba9aa0-2983-11e7-9ec8-168383da43b7

I can't recall where now, but I have seen a breakdown of the origins of those tourists (the link doesn't work for me), and therefore the tourist trends over the last few years. 

 

I seem to recall the the growth in tourists to Thailand was currently from China and other SEA locations.  And also as a corollary to that, the number of 'sex tourist' or 'solo travellers' was a decreasing proportion of those overall tourist numbers. 

 

All of which will no doubt encourage those in government who want to 'clean-up' Pattaya and its sex-tourism image.

For 1q2017 the fist three are Chinese, Russians and Malaysians - have seen articles today in Russian media.

The link requires a subscription to read.

From the Financial Times

 

Thailand is experiencing a tourism boom: great news for the ruling military junta, as revenue lines their pockets, but bad news for locals and the environment.

 

The number of visitors is expected to rise to 60 million each year by 2030, the Financial Times reported, almost double the number of people who visited last year (32.6 million). There are concerns that local infrastructure, like airports and motorways, will be put under strain as more tourists flood the country.

 

For the last ten years the number of Europeans visiting Thailand has steadily increased. In 2016, around one million Brits visited the ‘Land of Smiles,’ but the real influx is from China and Russia.

 

The increase in Chinese tourists  from 15.9 million in 2010 to 32.6 million last year was partly down to a 2012 film called Lost in Thailand, an immensely popular road trip movie, the FT reported.

 

Thailand’s tourist industry faces “trouble” without urgent investment to cope with an expected near-doubling of visitors to 60m by 2030, a top official has warned.

The Southeast Asian kingdom must press ahead with plans to expand ports, airports and railways to deal with a holidaymaker surge that has propped up the spluttering economy but put a growing strain on infrastructure, said Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary to the tourism ministry.

The visitor boom partly reflects explosive travel growth among newly wealthy Chinese. The rush has delivered the ruling military junta in Bangkok a much-needed financial boost but left airports and other choke points buckling under the strain.

Mr Pongpanu told the Financial Times “everyone is starting to get a little bit worried” by the impact of annual visitor numbers that have more than doubled in the past six years, with the tourism sector now accounting for almost a fifth of the economy.

 

“If we don’t do anything, we will get into trouble,” Mr Pongpanu said, adding that his ministry was lobbying the transport department to push ahead with infrastructure plans. “The congestion will be more and more. This is why it’s the most opportune moment to talk of upgrading, investment and expansion of existing facilities.”

Government figures suggest the sector accounts directly and indirectly for about 17.7 per cent of gross domestic product, while some international estimates put the number as high as 20 per cent, Mr Pongpanu said. He acknowledged the potential pitfalls of overdependence on the industry.

 

 

 

Why Russian like to go Thailand? ....

Russians probably like to go to Thailand for many of the same reasons anyone else likes to. What worries me about this news is the likelihood that hotel rates will go up. Now you can stay at some really fine hotels for  a small percentage of what those hotels charge in other countries.

Granted, people looking for a cheap vacation won't use those hotels, but there are bound to be enough who do. Or so I think.

No warm sea in Russia. People used to go to Turkey and Egypt, but now Egypt is closed completely from Russia and Turkey is closed for charter flights. And Thailand (as Egypt) is available all year round, especially during winter season in Russia.

No warm sea in Russia. People used to go to Turkey and Egypt, but now Egypt is closed completely from Russia and Turkey is closed for charter flights. And Thailand (as Egypt) is available all year round, especially during winter season in Russia.

Thanks for your info man, now I know more about Russian people's preference for holiday.