Thailand seeks slot waiver amid drop in Chinese tourists
Push to revive skies as travel industry shifts focus to quality over quantity
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) is in discussions with Chinese officials to obtain a one-year slot waiver in response to decreased Chinese tourist arrivals.
ACM Manat Chavanaprayoon, the CAAT director-general, stated that temporary relief from airport slot usage requirements is being sought due to the ongoing weak demand from Chinese travellers.
Once Thailand’s primary source market, Chinese tourist numbers have not rebounded due to evolving travel behaviour and safety concerns. However, Thailand is seeing increased interest from the Middle East and neighbouring ASEAN countries. Manat noted that CAAT is shifting its focus towards attracting affluent Chinese tourists before the year-end high season.
Between February and June 2025, Thailand recorded 72.68 million air passengers across 467,000 flights, a figure still 13.11% below pre-pandemic levels. Of these, 39.31 million were international travellers, and 33.37 million were domestic passengers.
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Thai Airways CEO Chai Eamsiri mentioned that forward bookings for late 2025 are on the rise. While the decline in Chinese tourists has impacted the airline, there is confidence that growing demand from other markets will compensate.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists this year, down from an earlier target of 6.9 million. Strategies include charter flights, enhanced travel packages, and expanded links with second-tier Chinese cities.
CAAT is committed to establishing Thailand as a regional aviation hub, prioritising infrastructure upgrades and international route expansions. It recently granted Air Operating Licences to two new carriers: FlyIntira on April 30 and Siam Wings Airline on May 22, as confirmed by Manat.
The government has reassured international visitors of the country’s safety despite recent conflicts near the Cambodian border. TAT highlights that the situation is confined to specific areas in Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, Thailand’s hotel sector is enduring one of its most challenging times amid a sharp decline in tourist arrivals. In June alone, the number of Chinese visitors plunged by 41.94%.
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