Thai tourism to South Korea decreases for 7 consecutive months

The Korea Times has reported that the number of Thai tourists visiting South Korea has significantly declined over the past seven months amid ongoing complaints and rising anti-Korean sentiment. 

This decline is partly attributed to the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) system, which often denies entry to travellers from Thailand.

According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization in July, the number of Thai tourists visiting South Korea in June decreased by 19.5% to 20,150 compared with the previous year. This marks the seventh consecutive month of decline.

This trend has caused Thailand, once a leading source of tourists to South Korea from Southeast Asia, to drop to third place in April and fifth place in May. Comparing the first half of this year with the previous year, the number of Thai tourists in South Korea fell by 19.1% to 168,328.

The decline in Thai tourists contrasts with the overall recovery of tourism in South Korea after the Covid-19 pandemic. In June, more than 1.41 million tourists visited South Korea, an increase of 47.5% from the same period last year.

Before the pandemic, Thailand was the top country in Southeast Asia in terms of visitors to South Korea, with more than 572,000 Thai tourists in 2019, driven by the popularity of K-pop, dramas, and other cultural content.

The decline in Thai tourists is partly due to issues with the K-ETA system, which was launched in September 2021. K-ETA allows travellers from 112 countries to register their information and receive travel approval to enter South Korea online. 

However, the system has denied entry to a significant number of Thai travellers, leading to complaints and fueling anti-Korean sentiment in Thailand.

In response, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested that the Ministry of Justice temporarily waive K-ETA registration for Thai citizens until the end of this year to attract more Thai tourists and help the country reach its goal of 20 million tourists by the end of 2024. 

However, the Ministry of Justice rejected the request, citing that Thai nationals make up the largest share of undocumented immigrants in South Korea.

As a result, the Ministry of Culture has shifted its focus to promoting educational travel for students under 17 years old, who do not need to apply for K-ETA. 

Additionally, to counter the growing anti-Korean sentiment, the ministry is working to promote tourism through collaborations with Thai influencers.

"We are continuously discussing various aspects of the K-ETA approval issue with the Ministry of Justice," the ministry said.

Thai tourists turn to China and Japan

While fewer Thai tourists are visiting South Korea, interest in travel to China and Japan is rising among Thais.

Yuttachai Suntornrattavert, vice-president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), told Nikkei Asia that, aside from the attractive tourist spots in China and Japan, both countries offer visa-free entry to Thai citizens. 

Additionally, travel costs are relatively low, and the scenery and atmosphere are excellent, making them worthwhile destinations for Thai tourists.

Yutthachai said: “A  four-day trip to China costs around 22,000 baht per person, which is less than the approximately 30,000 baht per person cost of travelling to South Korea."

The TTAA predicts that after China granted visa-free entry to Thai citizens on March 1, up to 1.2 million Thai tourists may visit China this year, nearly double the 693,818 who visited in 2019.

In response to the increased demand for travel to China, Thai Airways has increased its flights to China from seven to 11 flights per week, particularly to Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, and Yunnan province.

Meanwhile, tourism in Japan has grown significantly, with an increase in tourists, including Thais, due to the weaker yen, making travel expenses more affordable.