Rinthipond Varinvatchararoj, the deputy secretary of the Pheu Thai Party, has urged the government to address the issue of congestion and delays at Suvarnabhumi Airport. She has highlighted that after Thailand fully opened its doors to tourists in July 2022, in an attempt to boost the economy, more than 10 million travelers visited Thailand. According to the Kasikorn Research Centre, around 20 to 24 million tourists are expected to visit Thailand in 2023, equivalent to 60% of the 2019 record.
Rinthipond has emphasized that despite the increasing numbers of tourists, tourism management in Thailand is still not efficient. Long queues for immigration checks, baggage claims, and taxis are causing significant frustration among visitors. Immigration checks can take up to 3-4 hours, a situation that could easily be improved with the help of technology and additional personnel during peak hours.
The Thai government has access to data that can forecast daily arrival flights, and they should be using this information to manage the influx of visitors. Introducing pre-filled documents for automatic passport control could also speed up the process and leave tourists with a better impression of the country.
Rinthipond has emphasized that despite the increasing numbers of tourists, tourism management in Thailand is still not efficient. Long queues for immigration checks, baggage claims, and taxis are causing significant frustration among visitors. Immigration checks can take up to 3-4 hours, a situation that could easily be improved with the help of technology and additional personnel during peak hours.
The Thai government has access to data that can forecast daily arrival flights, and they should be using this information to manage the influx of visitors. Introducing pre-filled documents for automatic passport control could also speed up the process and leave tourists with a better impression of the country.
Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, has confirmed that the Airport of Thailand (AOT) is aware of the increasing visitor numbers and is taking action. The airport has introduced measures to improve its services, including reducing baggage claim delays to no more than 30 minutes and increasing the number of available taxis from 2,200 to 3,909. The AOT plans to further increase the number of taxis to 4,500 by next April.
However, despite these measures, Rinthipond has emphasized that the Thai government needs to act quickly to improve the situation. She pointed out that tourism is currently the only source of revenue that the Prayut government has been able to maintain. She stated that although the number of tourists is increasing, Thailand's GDP is growing at the slowest rate in the ASEAN region.
Between January 8 and February 15, around 20 flights of Chinese tourists from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to Thailand are expected every day, with an estimated 161,502 Chinese tourists entering Thailand during this period. It is predicted that the number of incoming Chinese tourists will continue to rise, reaching 500,000 people by May 1, 2023, and 1 million by August 20, 2023.
However, despite these measures, Rinthipond has emphasized that the Thai government needs to act quickly to improve the situation. She pointed out that tourism is currently the only source of revenue that the Prayut government has been able to maintain. She stated that although the number of tourists is increasing, Thailand's GDP is growing at the slowest rate in the ASEAN region.
Between January 8 and February 15, around 20 flights of Chinese tourists from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to Thailand are expected every day, with an estimated 161,502 Chinese tourists entering Thailand during this period. It is predicted that the number of incoming Chinese tourists will continue to rise, reaching 500,000 people by May 1, 2023, and 1 million by August 20, 2023.
