Indian tourists, Pattaya’s largest group of visitors last year, soon will be outpaced by Chinese and Russians, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya Office Director Anoma Wongyai said about 600,000 Indians will visit Pattaya this year, the same as in 2019. They are split between independent travelers and those attending seminars and group tours, she added.
Indians are the only demographic group to recover fully from the pandemic and were the first group to return to Pattaya en masse last year.
However, after tourism was halted by their country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russians have returned in large numbers to Pattaya. Chinese tourists began arriving in March and the pace of their arrivals is quickening.
As such, Chinese and Russians will become the top two tourist groups in Pattaya when end-of-year numbers are counted, Anoma said.
She added that it’s expected the number of Indian tourists will slow as the year goes on, as fewer seminars will be held.
Independent tourists spend more – about 3,000 baht a day – than Indian seminar guests, who spend 1,000-2,000 here, as their package is prepaid.
But group tourists also visit many local attractions, such as Nong Nooch Tropical Garden or Koh Larn, she noted.
