“Despite economic impacts and high levels of debt among Thais affecting purchasing power, it is assessed that Thais still continue to travel, focusing on frequent trips and adjusting behaviour to spend more prudently,” she said.
This corresponds to the Confidence Index, which reveals the findings of a survey of opinions from individuals with incomes exceeding 10,000 baht, totalling 450 people nationwide, distributed across gender, regions, occupations, and income.
It specifies the “travel behaviour and spending habits of Thai tourists” in the first quarter of 2024, indicating that the average expenditure on inter-provincial travel (excluding transportation costs) is 6,856 baht per person per trip, higher than the fourth quarter of 2023, which stood at 4,293 baht per person per trip.
Among the top factors influencing accommodation choices, affordable prices ranked first, with more than 79% of respondents indicating this preference. Moreover, the majority, around 97% of Thai tourists, prefer hotels that provide breakfast service.
In terms of accommodation price ranges, it was found that 1,001-2,000 baht is the most popular, with 62% of respondents favouring it. Following closely, 24% prefer the price range of 501-1,000 baht.
More than 87% believe that there should be free buses, electric train services from Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Songkhla to tourist destinations in adjacent provinces in order to distribute income and the number of tourists, prevent the problem of over-tourism, and ensure the sustainability of tourism resources.