Thailand expects influx of tourists and flights this summer

Thailand's Ministry of Transport has urged relevant agencies to prepare for the influx of tourists and flights during the summer season.

The ministry noted an increase in flights and passenger numbers in anticipation of Thailand's transformation into an ASEAN aviation hub.

See: Thailand aims to become an aviation hub

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit expects a large number of foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand under the new northern summer schedule, from March 30 to October 26.

Relevant agencies, including Airports of Thailand (AOT) and the Department of Airports (DOA), have been ordered to prepare a plan to support the influx of tourists at airports and ensure their safety, he said.

He added that the ministry had received a report from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) regarding the allocation of flight slots for summer 2025, and noted that the number of flights and passengers had increased.

Bangkok 's Suvarnabhumi Airport allocated an average of 1,202 slots per day to airlines, a 16.36 percent increase compared to the pre-Covid-19 period, he said.

While Don Mueang Airport allocated an average of 745 slots per day, an increase of 2.74% compared to 2019.

Chiang Mai and Phuket airports handled an average of 240 and 340 flights per day, an increase of 17.65% and 7.59% respectively.

Airports under the DOA are expected to handle 27,077 flights this summer, including 25,395 domestic flights and 1,682 international flights, an increase of 6.67% and 43.28% respectively compared to last year.

The number of passengers in summer is expected to reach 7.88 million people, an increase of 10.52% compared to the previous year.

This figure includes 7.42 million domestic passengers and 462,557 international passengers, an increase of 8.27% and 65.64% compared to the previous year.

Suriya noted that several airlines have plans to add flight routes to facilitate travel for travelers at reasonable prices.

Relevant agencies have been directed to further develop the aviation industry to ensure passenger convenience and safety, with emphasis on technology adoption, he said.

He added that Suvarnabhumi Airport is expected to be among the world's top 20 airlines within five years to meet the government's policy of promoting Thailand as an aviation hub in ASEAN.

The development of Suvarnabhumi Airport is taking place in three phases:

• In the short term (2024-2025): have the capacity to handle 1.2 million flights and 180 million passengers.
• In the medium term (2026-2028): support 1.4 million flights and 210 million passengers.
• Long term (2029-2037): support 2.1 million flights and 270 million passengers

Furthermore, the airport is expected to be among the top five airports for air cargo transportation in Asia-Pacific, Suriya added.

Increase in foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand

Tourists at Wat Arun in Bangkok.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand welcomed 4.8 million foreign travelers from January 1 to February 9 this year, generating 234.95 billion baht in revenue.

See: Thailand welcomed 3.7 million foreign tourists in January

The top five countries of origin for foreign tourists were China (825,617), Malaysia (617,631), Russia (330,628), South Korea (263,572) and India (232,828).

Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the number of long-haul tourists from February 3 to 9 increased by 4.15 percent compared to the previous week, thanks to an increase in the number of Russian and French travelers.

However, the number of short-haul tourists slowed after the Chinese New Year , he added.

The situation in South Korea, including plane crashes , politics and currency, also affected the confidence of South Korean travelers.

Sorawong expects the number of foreign tourist arrivals to stabilize next week, but confirmed that Thailand has implemented measures and activities to boost tourism.

Such as a campaign to boost Chinese tourists' confidence in safety and a free visa program.

See also:

Tourism in Thailand: a 100 billion euro bet for 2025

Thailand: Cancellations or fear-inducing trips for Chinese tourists

Thailand: Smog threatens tourism, hoteliers sound the alarm

Source: The Nation Thailand