I would say that’s not entirely accurate. While it is true that Russian tourists have become a major force in Thailand’s tourism industry in recent years, they do not have a monopoly on it.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Russians accounted for 11.1% of all foreign tourists to Thailand in 2022, making them the second-largest source of tourists after Chinese tourists. However, they still lag behind Chinese tourists by a significant margin.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has had a significant impact on Thailand’s tourism industry. The number of Russian tourists to Thailand fell by 70% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
Despite the decline in Russian tourists, Thailand’s tourism industry is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of foreign tourists to Thailand in 2022 was still only about half of the number of tourists in 2019.
The Thai government is hoping that the tourism industry will continue to recover in 2023. The government has taken a number of measures to attract tourists, including waiving visa fees for some countries and promoting Thailand as a safe and affordable destination.
It is too early to say whether the Russian invasion of Ukraine will have a lasting impact on Thailand’s tourism industry. However, it is clear that the industry will need to diversify its sources of tourists if it wants to recover fully from the pandemic.
