THAI Airways International (THAI) said its flight data from January to July 2025 shows Tokyo is the most popular destination for Thai tourists in Asia while Colombo, Sri Lanka, has seen 100 percent increase in the number of Thai visitors, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Sep. 3).
Mr. Kittipong Sarasomboon, THAI’s chief commercial officer, said the other Asian cities in the top-five ranking of popularity among Thais are Singapore, Shanghai, Osaka and Seoul.
THAI’s data also shows that more Thai travellers are choosing full-service flights with a one-time payment for convenience.
“The route experiencing significant growth is Colombo, Sri Lanka, with popularity among Thais having jumped 100 percent,” he said.
Shanghai also saw an 80 percent increase in the number of Thai passengers with additional flights now flying to both this Chinese city and Colombo and Denpasar (Bali).
Guangzhou, China, is one of the cities to watch as there is a significant increase in the number of Thai tourists compared to the previous year.
It has been observed that these tourists are not there just for shopping but also enjoy visiting museums and sightseeing as well as enjoying the diverse street food offerings.
This jump in popularity has been facilitated by China’s visa-free measure which makes travelling there more convenient.
China is a market with significant potential as it offers a comprehensive range of affordable destinations and and a large number of attractions ranging from nature to history, culture and renowned theme parks like Disneyland catering to those seeking unique experiences unavailable in South Korea or Japan, Kittipong said.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash
First insert: Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo by Adam Marikar on Unsplash
Second insert: Shanghai, China. Photo by Li Yang on Unsplash
Front Page: Tokyo, Japan, Photo by Yoav Aziz on Unsplash
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