Sluggish spending delays tourism recovery

October 4, 2023

Operators pin hopes on fourth quarter

Tourists relax on a beach on Koh Tao in Surat Thani. A poll by the Tourism Council of Thailand found that the tourism index for the fourth quarter was still below the normal level. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)

Despite 20 million foreign arrivals in the first nine months of the year, the tourism index has still plunged below the regular rate as operators witnessed sluggish spending due to global economic concerns and a high level of household debt, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT).

Chamnan Srisawat, president of the…