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Thai hotels face double challenge from US tariffs

Spending per person in Thailand is expected to decline 1% next year and stay flat in 2027, attributed to the weaker global economic outlook.

Tourists board a ferry in Phuket province. Slowing arrivals in the low season of 2025 could prompt hotels to cut prices. (Photo: BangkokPost)
Tourists board a ferry in Phuket province. Slowing arrivals in the low season of 2025 could prompt hotels to cut prices. (Photo: BangkokPost)

Bangkok (VNA) - Thai hotels are likely to face secondary effects from the US reciprocal tariffs as slowing tourist arrivals may cause hoteliers to cut prices or introduce more aggressive campaigns at home, while their overseas operations cannot escape the impact of the global economic slowdown.

Spending per person in Thailand is expected to decline 1% next year and stay flat in 2027, attributed to the weaker global economic outlook, said CGS International Securities.

CGS International, a unit of Beijing-based China Galaxy Securities, cut its tourist arrival estimate to 34.5 million for this year from 39 million, down from 35.5 million posted last year. The brokerage's estimate for 2026 was downgraded to 36.3 million from 41 million.

Tourist arrivals amounted to 9.5 million in the first quarter of 2025, up 2% year-on-year, but 12% below the same period of 2019.

Chinese tourist arrivals plunged 24% to 1.3 million from 1.8 million in the same period last year, accounting for only 42% of the 3.1 million arrivals in the first quarter of 2019, according to CGS./.

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