Thai Tourism Takes Hit as Strong Baht, War Compounds China Fears

Passengers on a ferry view the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok.

Photographer: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance/ Getty Images

Thailand, famed for its fantastic food and wild nightlife, is poised for its first annual drop in tourist arrivals in a decade outside the pandemic, after multiple crises hurt the confidence of holidaymakers.

The country had welcomed 32.6 million foreign travelers as of Dec. 28, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said Tuesday. That represents a more than 7% drop from the same period last year.