Strong baht may crimp bookingsListen to this articleWith the baht strengthening against the US dollar, surpassing 31 to the greenback for the first time in almost five years, it should impact forward bookings for the next few months and during the low season, discouraging tourist spending. Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said travel agents have expressed concern about the strong baht, which has been an obstacle since last year for many markets, including the US, Russia, Europe and Japan. Hotels this high season have raised room rates by only around 5% year-on-year due to the strong baht and pressure from rising costs, he said. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said the strong baht will likely hamper forward bookings in the upcoming months. He said meeting and business groups often have short lead times and tend to require 3-4 times the budget of leisure travel, making their visits more expensive with a strong baht.

Source: Bangkok Post January 21, 2026 23:24 UTC