The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has reported an increase in Thai tourists visiting Japan in the first six months of 2024, with figures reaching approximately 618,300—a 24% rise year-on-year and a 90% increase compared to the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The surge coincides with a weakening yen, currently valued at 23 baht per 100 yen, which many credit as a primary reason for the uptick in travel.
In June alone, the number of Thai tourists entering Japan was recorded at 54,600, marking a 6.3% increase from the previous year and an 86.7% rise from June 2019. The ongoing popularity of Japan among Thai tourists has been bolstered by new airline routes to the country and the favorable exchange rate.
Thai AirAsia anticipates that the trend of increased travel to Japan will persist throughout the remainder of the year. According to JNTO, Thai tourists rank sixth in terms of foreign arrivals to Japan in 2024, following South Korea, China, Taiwan, the United States, and Hong Kong. Thailand leads other Southeast Asian nations in this metric, with contributions also coming from the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
According to Thai AirAsia CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya, the airline industry has also observed a rise in Thai visitors to China in the first half of the year, attributed to a new mutual permanent visa waiver policy initiated on March 1. Approximately 55,000 Thais flew to China with the airline during this period, a 30% increase from the same timeframe in 2019, accounting for 15% of the airline’s total passenger volume. (NNT)
