Thailand’s Tourism Sector Slowly Recovering Post Covid

The Kingdom of Thailand was among the first Asian countries to reopen its borders to foreigners. New hotels are opening with new amenities as the economy slowly recovers and travelers extend their stays.

Thailand received 106,117 foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2021, down from 6.7 million in 2020. About 40 million tourists visited the country per year before the pandemic.

Bookings came primarily from Western countries and the Middle East for hospitality firms like Asset World Corporation, which opened its 19th hotel this month.

Over 70% of total bookings came from Europe, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Scandinavian countries, the United States, the Middle East, and Asia, according to Wallapa Traisorat, chief executive. It’s expected that we will reach 30% occupancy in November, and we hope to see better results from the reopening in the fourth quarter.

Travelers staying longer in Thailand

The tourism sector is heavily dependent on Thailand, one of the region’s most popular destinations. Approximately 40 million tourists visited Thailand in 2019.

In December, Centara Hotels and Resorts plan to open a 1.1 billion baht hotel on the island of Samui. Centara Hotels chief financial officer Gun Srisompong says most guests will be locals on longer stays at first.

Travelers on longer stays and those on ‘workstations now also demand more personalization,” Mr. Gun said. This year, Thailand expects only 200,000 foreign tourists and 5 million in 2022.

German tourist Markus Klarer said that fewer crowds and discounts made his vacation more enjoyable.

“This is a good time to come back to Thailand again,” Mr. Klarer said. Covid rules still make some things hard for some businesses despite the reopening.

“Tourism is not fully confident and confused with government regulations,” said Chitchai Senwong, a restaurant manager in Bangkok, who cited a government rule that prohibits drinking alcohol after 9 pm.