Thailand Sees First Tourist Drop in Decade Outside Pandemic
Skift Take
Thailand's tourist arrivals fell 7% to 32.6M through Dec. 28, hurt by Chinese actor abduction, Myanmar quake, flooding and stronger baht. Plus more hotel deal and development news.
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said it believes investors are focusing on Japan, Singapore, and Australia as the region’s top hotel deal markets, while Vietnam is emerging as the next growth play with more new investment opportunities coming to market. Even with the global uncertainty and economic volatility, JLL believes hotel investment and transaction activity are showing increasingly positive signals. For 2025, the region’s hotel deal value is expected to end at US$11.9 billion. Deals are taking longer to close, due diligence is more rigorous, and there is greater emphasis on cost control. JLL said most deals in Thailand remain small to mid-size compared with larger core markets. Hotel transactions there are still largely driven by local investor interest, while foreign investors, especially from Southeast Asia, continue to explore opportunities. It expects transaction value to be unusually high in 2025 at US$804 million, declining to around US$402 million in 2026, clo
