Thailand, February 21st, 2025 –Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, the president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), highlighted Southeast Asia’s shift towards attracting high-spending tourists for sustainable growth. Thailand aims to increase visitor spending instead of focusing solely on arrival numbers.
Thailand’s government as a result has launched the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025, targeting 39 million foreign tourists and 3.5 trillion baht in revenue, primarily from international visitors.
In 2024, the country generated around 1.67 trillion baht from foreign tourism. However, the World Bank warns that while Thailand’s 2025 arrivals may surpass pre-pandemic levels, per-trip spending could drop by 20%.
Rewat Kongchatri, a board member of the Nightlife Business Trade Association, noted rising demand for premium tourism experiences, especially among young, high-spending travelers. Thailand is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend through its diverse and world-renowned culinary scene.
Anchalee Bhumisrikaew, a representative of the Asia Pacific International Spirits & Wines Alliance (APISWA), emphasized that F&B (food service) plays a crucial role in enhancing tourism appeal.
Oxford Economics and APISWA recommend that policymakers improve accessibility to premium dining and nightlife, including reconsidering Thailand’s 2-5 PM alcohol sales ban, which could help service businesses better meet foreign tourists’ expectations.
The report “Capturing High-Quality Tourism for Southeast Asia” revealed that:
- 71% of surveyed travelers prioritize F&B experiences over cultural attractions and shopping, with 75% of high-income tourists emphasizing this factor.
- Tourists are 2.5 times more likely to choose destinations with premium F&B options.
- High-spending visitors are willing to pay an extra $250 per person per day for top-tier F&B experiences.
- Safety is a top priority, with 84% of travelers considering it essential in destination selection.
The survey covered 1,800 potential travelers from China, South Korea, Australia, the U.S., and the U.K., highlighting the growing impact of premium F&B on tourism trends in the region.
As a result, calls from all tourism and hospitality sectors have grown substantially to eliminate the longstanding 2-5 afternoon alcohol ban and to consider easing restrictions on religious holidays, which ban alcohol sales entirely, and possibly allow sales at hotels for tourists as a start. TPN Media notes there was previously an exception for people staying at hotels on religious holidays but this exception was ended shortly after the 2014 Prayut Chan’O Cha led military coup as one of their changes.
The Thai government has rejected proposals to entirely lift restrictions on alcohol selling hours but the government, led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is reportedly heavily considering ending the controversial afternoon sales ban, in place for decades and whose original purpose is, even to this day, debated heavily.
TPN media notes that enforcement of the afternoon sales ban is shaky at best, especially at smaller “Mom and Pop” stores and restaurants, but lifting the ban entirely would equally benefit every retailer, including grocery and convenience stores where tourists can often be seen confused as to why the ban is in place during afternoons.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
