Pattaya ranks first among Thai tourists looking for a domestic holiday, according to travel-booking website Agoda.
Anoma Wongyai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office, said March 1 that Hua Hin-Cha Am and Phuket ranked second and third, respectively.
Agoda surveyed 14,000 users from 12 countries and, among Thais, visiting famous landmarks, the beach and waterparks were the top three things they do in Pattaya.
Thais remain and will remain Pattaya’s most important demographic group in 2023, but TAT also is seeing growth in foreign tourism.
Anoma said Russians, Indians and South Koreans are Pattaya’s top three nationalities, with Chinese now ranking fourth. Soon, she predicted, China will rank first.
Independent Chinese tourists and small groups or families already are coming back to Thailand and big tour groups have started coming, with flights landing at both U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport since Feb. 25.
Anoma expects Indian tourists to increase again now that India’s government withdrew a requirement that tourists returning from Thailand undergo Covid-19 tests and even quarantine. However, Thailand is still requiring health insurance. If that is revoked, then arrivals will grow faster, she said.
