Domestic tourism is not a backup market. Six years of data show it is one of Thailand’s most reliable demand engines, and one of its most under-monetised. Thailand’s tourism story is usually told through the eyes of international visitors. The…
Twelve and a half million tourists visited Chiang Mai in 2023. The city’s accommodation sector ran at occupancy rates that, by the standards of the past decade, represent a solid recovery. Operators across hospitality, wellness, food, and experience filled their…
A Chiang Mai spa operator running a four-night retreat priced at 18,000 baht is competing, without necessarily knowing it, against a Balinese retreat priced at three times that amount for the same duration. The Bali product is not better by…
Vietnam received 12.6 million international arrivals in 2023, less than half of Thailand’s 28 million. By the headline numbers that dominate regional tourism coverage, Thailand is still well ahead. The problem with treating that gap as reassurance is that Vietnam…
The most awkward thing about Thailand’s tourism data is not what it reveals about failure. It is what it reveals about success. The system works. It brings in visitors, fills rooms, and sustains employment across every region of the country.…