Only 57% of Thais to holiday at home this quarter

A recent survey reveals a dramatic decline in domestic travel plans among Thais, with only 57% intending to holiday within the country in the third quarter of this year. This is a significant drop from 64% in the second quarter and a steep decline from 74% in the first quarter.

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) surveyed 450 Thai nationals, each earning over 10,000 baht per month. The results are startling: average spending per person on domestic trips plummeted to 2,683 baht in the second quarter, a stark contrast to the 6,856 baht spent in the first quarter.

Interestingly, the average number of hotel overnight stays per person increased to 4.79 nights in the second quarter, compared to 3.38 nights in the first quarter. Expectations for the third quarter indicate a slight decrease, with an anticipated 4.55 nights.

When it comes to international travel, the survey found that 16% of respondents plan to travel abroad in the third quarter, consistent with the second quarter but significantly lower than the 23% reported in the first quarter.

The reasons for this downward trend in travel are clear. A staggering 80% of respondents cited the burden of a higher cost of living and debt, while 58% pointed to the increased cost of travel compared to pre-pandemic times.

TCT President Chamnan Srisawat commented that the survey results align with the tourism business confidence index, which fell to 79 in the second quarter from 81 in the first quarter. However, it remains better than the 72 recorded during the same period last year. He noted that the low season in the second quarter, despite the Songkran festival in April, and the limited impact of government economic stimulus campaigns have contributed to the decline.

Looking ahead, TCT anticipates the confidence index to drop further to 75 in the third quarter, reported The Nation.

“The Thai economy is also suffering from reduced purchasing power and unemployment due to factory closures, which will increase household debts and non-performing loans, further impacting the domestic tourism industry.”