Foreign tourists returning to Hua Hin, many more expected this year
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Foreign tourists returning to Hua Hin, many more expected this year

The tourism industry in Hua Hin is showing signs of recovery following a surge in foreign tourists arrivals in recent weeks.


According to Mr. Udom Srimahachota, vice president of the Thai Hotel Association (Western region), said foreign tourists currently account for approximately 60 percent of all tourists visiting the district.


Mr. Udom said that the tourism situation in Hua Hin has been improving since before the New Year’s Eve festival and had shown no signs of slowing.

According to information from members of the Thai Hotel Association based in Hua Hin, it was discovered that foreign tourists from European countries came in greater numbers than in previous years, Mr. Udom said.


He added that the proportion of tourists visiting Hua Hin is currently approximately 40 percent Thai, while foreign tourists account for up to 60 percent.

The majority of foreigners visiting Hua Hin currently are coming from Europe and Scandinavia, namely Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany.


The majority of foreign tourists are elderly people and those with families who will visit for between 7-14 days and stay in hotels, resorts, condos or in rented villas on housing estates, Mr Udom added.

He said that while the foreign tourist market in Hua Hin is expected to continue to grow throughout the year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting will be insignificant compared to tourists from other countries, Mr Udom said.

This is because other destinations in Thailand, such as Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket are preferred by the Chinese.


In addition, the Thai Hotel Association (Western region) voiced support for government proposals to extend the tourism stimulus campaign ‘We Travel Together Phase 5’ in April.

This would help to encourage Thais to spend money on hotels, resorts, and restaurants, which in turn would help to boost the local tourism economy in Hua Hin and throughout the country.

Meanwhile, a number of local hotels and resorts reported high occupancy rates over recent weeks.


Mr. Anupap Thipayarat, manager of The Yana Villas Hua Hin, stated that the hotel’s average occupancy rate during the week is 70-80 percent and approximately 90 percent during holidays and weekends.

Further south in Bangsaphan Noi district, Mr. Prida Charoenpak, owner of Koh Talu Highland Resort stated that tourism has recovered after the pandemic.

He said that many groups of tourists are visiting Koh Talu to dive, both Thais and foreigners and that many boat tour services are now operating on the island.


Mr. Prida said that at his resort, Thai tourists normally stay one or two nights, while the average length of stay for foreign tourists is around 5-7 days, with others staying for as long as two weeks.

Mr. Prida said that tourists visiting Koh Talu can choose between driving from Bangkok or taking an airline to Pathio District, Chumphon Province, and coming to snorkel at Koh Talu or going to Ban Krut beach.


According to data from the Economic Division Department of Tourism, over the past year, a total of 8.6 million tourists (Thai and foreigners) visited Prachuap Khiri Khan, which generated more than 30 million baht in revenue.


Officials believe the tourism situation in the province will continue to improve throughout 2023.



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