Thai hotel sector faces rising closures after widespread losses

Thai hotel closures rose 42% in the first nine months of 2026 after 51% of operators posted losses in 2025, with KResearch warning of further pressure in 2027.

Thailand’s hotel and accommodation sector is facing mounting pressure from weak tourism demand, rising competition and high operating costs, with business closures accelerating after more than half of operators reported losses last year.

KASIKORN RESEARCH CENTER (KResearch) said 148 hotel and accommodation businesses registered their closure during the first nine months of 2026, up 42% from the same period a year earlier.

Meanwhile, about 51% of operators recorded losses in 2025, with smaller businesses the most vulnerable. Around 54% of small operators were loss-making, while 42% had accumulated losses for three consecutive years from 2023 to 2025. Overall, 38% of hotel and accommodation operators recorded accumulated losses throughout the three-year period.

KResearch warned that the outlook for 2027 remained highly uncertain as the tourism recovery stays uneven, competition intensifies and operating costs face further upward pressure.

Hotel market grows, but recovery remains uneven
Thailand’s hotel and accommodation market is expected to be worth about THB1.1 trillion in 2026, up 2.6% from 2025.

Accommodation accounts for about 77% of sector revenue, with the remaining 23% coming from areas including catering, meetings, seminars, food and beverages.

The industry comprises about 15,000 operators, more than 98% of them small and medium-sized businesses, and employs around 430,000 people. Its market value is equivalent to about 5.7% of Thailand’s gross domestic product at current prices, according to KResearch.

Despite overall revenue growth supported by international meetings and conferences and continued domestic travel, the recovery has not been evenly distributed.

New business registrations also slowed. A total of 779 hotel and accommodation businesses were established during the first nine months, down 31.2% year on year, although the figure remained above the comparable level in 2024.

Source: TheNation 

#Thailand - New safety rules for public transport vans enforced.

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The Land Transport Department has begun enforcing strict safety rules targeting public transport vans - including a 13-passenger limit.

The rules also require vans to have an emergency exit that can be opened from the inside with a visible, reflective Thai sign identifying it, a 20 centimetre-wide walking space to reach the emergency exit and at least three glass-breaking hammers on the left, the right and the back of vans.

Van operators who fail to comply with the rules face fines of Bt500 to Bt5,000 and having their license suspended for up to six months.

On the first day of enforcement of the new rules on Monday, in which fines were capped at Bt500, many vans at Bangkok's Victory Monument complied with the requirements. 

Reducing the seating capacity from 15 seat to 13 aims to ensure there is enough space for passengers to quickly reach the emergency exit.

The department will also require fixed-route vans in Bangkok and elsewhere to submit their vehicles for an inspection and registration check on June 5 or July 5. 

Chartered vans will be inspected on August 5. 

Those who fail to comply face a maximum fine, the department warned.

Source - TheNation

Ps,  13 persons exclusive luggage is anyway to much.

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