Never bet against Thai tourism. A robust rebound in arrivals was evident last week when statistics showed almost 15 million foreign tourists visited Thailand during the first five months of this year, a 38 percent increase over the same period last year.

“The 14.7 million visitors who entered Thailand in the first five months generated over $19 billion in revenue for the country”, said Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke. He said that the Kingdom could expect roughly 35 million tourists in 2024, slightly shy of the pre-pandemic high of about 39 million.

One of the most significant constraints on higher numbers of tourists has been a shortage of flights and rising prices for airline tickets. Airlines serving the region have yet to increase the number of flights to the same level as that prior to the pandemic. Some of which have confirmed that they are gearing up to do so.

This constraint has led to fewer arrivals not just in Thailand but in every country in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, Thailand leads all its neighbors in the number of tourists.

In response, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said last week that it is working on forging partnerships with 11 foreign airlines to increase flights to the Kingdom and engage in marketing to drive interest and growth in arrivals.

The TAT said it is planning on working with the airlines to pitch holiday packages along with flights in a strategy to reduce the overall costs of visiting and vacationing in Thailand. It will also link lower ticket prices to several new long-stay visas the Kingdom is offering to specific groups, such as digital nomads.

Despite slightly fewer visitors, major hotels in Thailand have been reporting higher profitability thanks to employing advanced technologies and adopting greater efficiencies to reduce costs.