Vietnamese tourists turn their backs on Thailand?

Once extremely popular with Vietnamese tourists, Thailand's tourism industry is facing difficulties in attracting this traditional source of visitors.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), while tourism in Vietnam is booming, Thailand is facing challenges in attracting Vietnamese tourists because Vietnamese airlines prioritize planes serving domestic tourism.

On the Bangkok Post , Ms. Supakan Yodchun, Director of the TAT Office in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the total number of seats on all routes between Thailand and Vietnam has decreased by 10% to 2.34 million seats in 2024, compared to 2.6 million seats in 2023.

This trend has continued this year, with seat capacity down 12% and below 2019 levels.

Tan Son Nhat Airport recently opened Terminal 3 for domestic flights, forcing Vietnamese airlines to reserve about 40 planes to prioritize domestic travel, Ms. Supakan said.

Thailand is facing challenges in attracting international tourists, as visitor numbers decline and regional competitors gain ground.

PHOTO: BANGKOK POST

Another reason is that Vietnamese tourists increasingly prioritize domestic travel. Domestic tourists in Vietnam reached 110 million in 2024 and this number is expected to reach 120-130 million this year.

"The surge in international arrivals has made Vietnamese people proud of tourism as an economic driver. Many Vietnamese now prefer to explore domestically rather than travel abroad," she said.

In 2024, Vietnam will earn about VND840,000 billion from tourism, up 23.8% year-on-year, with 17.5 million international visitors. In 2025, Vietnam aims to increase revenue by 16.7 - 25% to more than VND980,000 billion, with 22 - 23 million international visitors.

Regarding competitors, Ms. Supakan commented that China has emerged as an attractive international tourist destination after the pandemic, thanks to 460 weekly flights connecting people to places outside major cities. China also offers affordable travel packages to attract potential tourists from Vietnam.

Finally, there are safety concerns. “Although Thailand remains the second most popular overseas destination for Vietnamese tourists in the first half of 2025, they are increasingly concerned about safety issues. This market is quite sensitive to negative news reports about Thailand,” she said, stressing that Vietnam still has strong growth potential, with a population of 101.4 million, including 32.9 million in the middle age group.

In 2024, about 984,200 Vietnamese tourists visited Thailand, making Vietnam the 11th largest source of international visitors to Thailand. This figure accounts for about 2.77% of Thailand's total international arrivals, according to TAT. In the opposite direction, Vietnam welcomed 418,000 Thai visitors, ranking among the top 10 largest international visitor markets. In the first 7 months of this year alone, more than 265,000 Thai visitors came to Vietnam, an increase of 7%.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-khach-viet-nam-quay-lung-voi-diem-den-thai-lan-185250811113453348.htm