The recent decline in international visitation to Thailand on the back of growing safety concerns highlights a need to recalibrate the country’s offerings by using multi-billion-dollar entertainment complexes to fuel incremental growth, according to industry operators.
The issue of Thailand’s falling visitor numbers was raised during last week’s Thailand Entertainment Complex Roundtable in Bangkok, ironically by opposing voice and People’s Party spokesperson Parit Wacharasindhu, who singled out a drop in arrivals from mainland China as being particularly worrisome.
Parit suggested that the decline was at least in part due to Beijing’s opposition to gambling and recent threats to place nations seen to be luring Chinese nationals for the purpose of gambling on a tourism blacklist. Developing large-scale entertainment complexes with casinos would only add to the problem, Parit added.
However, Kevin Clayton, Chief Brand Officer, Thailand for Galaxy Entertainment Group, disputed this take, stating that China’s stance was instead about preventing capital outflow linked to the now defunct junket promoters that were taking high rollers to foreign casino destinations.
The decline in tourism numbers was, he said, more closely aligned to perceptions of safety given recent negative publicity around scam centers on the Thai border and the high-profile kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing in January. Wang was later located in Myanmar where he had been forced to work in a scam center.
Clayton said such occurrences had resulted in a “reassessment of Thailand as a destination”, particularly among Chinese tourists.
“Affordability and accessibility will always be key considerations for many travelers before making a decision on a vacation, but safety will always rank above all else,” he explained.
“It’s therefore much easier to understand why Chinese are deciding against Thailand and preferring other more favorable destinations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore.”
Noting that the decline in Chinese visitation to Thailand, down around 30% since pre-COVID, represented a far broader problem than anything linked to gambling, Clayton added, “Thailand Tourism needs a reboot with Entertainment complexes being one important strategy to fuel incremental growth. This [would take the form of] billions of [US] dollars of international investment in luxury entertainment attractions that will headline live performances, the very best international dining, the finest hospitality, unique retail concepts and plenty of fun – all presented with Thailand’s warm, welcoming culture.”
After starting off strong in 2025 with a 22% year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals to 3.71 million, Thailand has in the months since Wang’s kidnapping since seen a major decline with arrivals down 7% in February to 3.12 million, almost 9% in March to 2.72 million and another 7.6% in April to 2.72 million. That’s despite Asia-Pacific reporting a regional 13% increase in international visitation through the same period, including double-digit increases across many Southeast Asian countries.
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