Lifting of restrictions, affordable prices make Vietnam popular among Thai travelers

Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, told Bangkok Post that Vietnam also has many ports of entry for air travel, making it a convenient destination for Thais.

He called on all regional countries to consider lifting their remaining restrictions to speed up tourism recovery.

Thailand has sent the fourth highest number of visitors to Vietnam this year – 153,400 – while Vietnam is one of that country’s largest sources of visitors post reopening with over 373,000, according to official statistics.

Before the pandemic Thailand had been Vietnam’s fastest-growing tourist market.

Vietnam opened its borders in March but the number of foreign visitors in the first 11 months of the year has been modest at 2.95 million, just more than half the full-year target of five million, due partly to visa hassles.

It offers 30-day single-entry e-visas to citizens of 80 countries and territories and visa exemption for visitors from 24 others, including Thailand.

Thailand and Vietnam are seeking ways to revive their tourism industry post reopening.

In October Thai Vietjet, a subsidiary of Vietjet Air, launched the first ever direct service between Bangkok and Phu Quoc Island.

Earlier this month the carrier resumed direct flights between Bangkok and the Vietnamese resort town of Da Lat after a nearly three-year hiatus due to Covid.