Survey reveals most popular things to do for tourists in Thailand
Thailand’s Tourism Authority says a recent survey has revealed the most popular things for tourists to do when visiting Thailand. The survey showed that an overwhelming majority of respondents said that eating Thai food was at the top of their lists, with almost 91% choosing it as their favourite thing to do. Although this doesn’t come as a surprise to most people in Thailand, foodie trips are quite popular among those who travel frequently.
According to Thai PBS World, the second most popular thing for tourists to do is of experiencing a traditional Thai massage or spa. Some 48% of respondents chose it as their favourite attraction in the kingdom. Almost tied with traditional Thai massages and spas are beachgoing and sea-related activities, coming in at nearly the same percentage. The third most popular thing that respondents chose was visiting historical venues. Some 46% of those respondents chose such educational and cultural attractions as topping their lists.
As for other popular destinations upon landing in the Land of Smiles, medical tourism also proved popular with visitors. The five most sought-after medical services included bone and joint treatments, medical check-ups, metabolic treatments, heart and vascular diseases and dental treatments. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says that after the Covid pandemic, the Ministry adopted medical tourism as a key means of generating revenue for the country while aiming to turn the kingdom into a regional medical hub.
Currently, the Medical Tourism Association has ranked Thailand as fifth globally. And, the revenues from such services increased by 47% from 2020 to 2021. According to the Health Service Support Department, 30 Thai hospitals earned a total of 11.9 billion baht from treating foreign Covid patients last year.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority has not released any recent surveys as to how the legalisation of cannabis has impacted the country’s medical services revenue.
