As Thailand’s outbound travel market emerges from a period of uncertainty, multi-generational travel, repeat cruisers and a growing appetite for new destinations are shaping demand in maturing segments.
Travel Weekly Asia speaks to Sutatip Chadavadh, managing director, Regale International Travel, who shares how Thailand's outbound travel market is adapting and where the next opportunities lie.
How do Thai travellers book when the travel landscape becomes more uncertain?
Thailand’s outbound leisure market remain highly sensitive to uncertainty. Whenever there is a crisis of confidence – whether caused by a virus outbreak or geopolitical conflict – travellers tend to delay, postpone or cancel their trips altogether, which was what we saw in the immediate aftermath of the Middle East crisis. While demand has since begun to recover, airfare costs have emerged as a bigger challenge. At the same time, Thailand’s broader economic environment remains soft, leading to price competition.
Has the corporate market responded differently?
In contrast, the Thai corporate incentive segment has remained robust, particularly among companies that organise annual incentive trips. Demand continues to come from a broad spectrum of industries, including automotive, finance, electronics and FMCG.
The main adjustment companies are making is on budget rather than travel itself, with spending either remaining flat or seeing modest reductions. At the same time, growing concerns over travel fraud and scams have driven many customers towards established operators like Regale with proven credibility and service quality.
Where are you seeing the strongest demand right now?
China has also been gaining momentum as an incentive destination in recent years, aided by visa-free access, growing social media and influencer exposure, and its rapidly developing tourism infrastructure and attractions. Destinations such as Chongqing, Shanghai and the Silk Road region are seeing increasing interest.
Central Asia is also emerging as a growing incentive destination, while Japan remains a perennial favourite among Thai corporate groups.
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What are experienced Thai cruise travellers looking for next?
Cruising is gaining stronger traction among Thai travellers. What was once viewed as a luxury and somewhat remote product – where one would be disconnected from the world without Internet – has evolved significantly with advances in technology and the growing diversity of ships to appeal to a much larger customer base. We have seen the rise of family and multi-generational cruise travel.
Parents are bringing children, working adults are travelling with their parents, and extended families are increasingly choosing cruises as a shared holiday experience.
Language was once a greater barrier, but younger Thai travellers today are far more comfortable with English. This has enabled them to better enjoy the experiences and onboard programming on cruise ships according to their lifestyles and preferences.
However, repeat Thai cruise travellers tend to favour destinations such as Japan and Europe over regional itineraries, as many are increasingly seeking out new destinations and experiences they have not previously explored.
This article was first published in Travel Weekly Asia’s April-June 2026 issue. Click here to read more from this issue.
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