Thailand tourism at a tipping point as regional rivals surge, TTF 2026 warns

Industry leaders urge urgent development of new destinations and experiences as travel patterns, infrastructure gaps and aggressive competition reshape Asia’s tourism landscape

ThaigerPublished: January 23, 2026, 1:26 PM

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Thailand tourism at a tipping point as regional rivals surge, TTF 2026 warns | Thaiger

Thailand’s tourism industry is approaching a decisive moment. As travel patterns evolve and regional competitors accelerate investment, the kingdom faces mounting pressure to adapt or risk losing its long-held leadership position in Asia-Pacific tourism.

For decades, Thailand has been one of the world’s most successful tourism destinations. Today, however, competition is intensifying. While Thailand’s international arrivals declined 7.2% in 2025, Vietnam recorded growth of 20.4%, capitalising on shifting Chinese outbound travel trends, improved connectivity and aggressive infrastructure development.

Thailand tourism at a tipping point as regional rivals surge, TTF 2026 warns | News by Thaiger

It is a gap that could widen further. Vietnam’s plans include 12 new airports, a proposed high-speed rail network, and a substantial hotel development pipeline, all clear signals of a long-term strategy to capture regional and global market share.

Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, spoke on the downward spiral of tourism in Thailand.

“Thailand’s tourism industry stands at a critical juncture, where strategy matters more than scale. This is no longer a recovery phase; it is a reckoning. Regional competitors are investing billions, and Thailand cannot rely on past success. The choices made now will define the next decade.”

Hospitality and investment leaders remain bullish on Thailand as a destination that continues to have enduring appeal as a place to visit and to live, although new entrepreneurial energy is needed to develop new products, experiences and destinations that appeal to a global audience.

Phoom Chirathivat, Managing Partner and Co-Head of Central Group Capital and Head of Hotels and Alternative Investments at Central Pattana (CPN), remains cautious, but optimistic.

“As an investor, I am, of course, cautiously optimistic. Cautious due to global uncertainty and issues related to geopolitics and security. Regionally, there’s more competition and locally, the economy is not good. But I am very optimistic in a country where cultural depth and diversity offer a gold mine to create high-value products.”

For new destinations, he emphasised the need to look beyond the big five of Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Pattaya to places such as Isaan in the north-east where the combination of people, food and culture offered a compelling proposition, and Nakhon Sri Thammarat on the south-east coast with over 3,000 kilometres of undeveloped coastline, and quiet, natural beauty.

Organised by C9 Hotelworks, the 15th edition of TTF 2026 was hosted at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, bringing together 1,000 senior hospitality professionals, hotel operators, developers and owners, and tourism executives under the theme A World of Change.