Are Thai tourists flocking from Korea to Japan? Two reasons why they hesitate to visit Korea

The number of Thai tourists visiting South Korea continues to decline. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, about 320,000 Thai tourists visited South Korea last year, down 56.7% from 570,000 in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thailand is popular with K-POP, Korean TV series, and movies, and has a high interest in Korea. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand was the country with the most tourists visiting Korea among Southeast Asian countries.
On the 11th of this month, the Korean Economy reported that "It has been pointed out that it is important to spread a positive image of travel to Korea." There are two reasons given for the sudden drop in Thai visitors to Korea.
In September 2021, the Korean Ministry of Justice introduced the Electronic Travel Authorization System (K-ETA). This system allows people to enter the necessary information online before entering the country and receive entry permission.
In Korea, travelers from countries and regions that are exempt from visas are required to obtain a K-ETA. 22 countries and regions, including Japan, are exempt from the K-ETA, but those coming from Thailand and other countries are required to obtain a K-ETA.
However, since the introduction of the system, there have been a series of cases where Thais have been denied entry at immigration without clear criteria.
It is believed that entry restrictions have been tightened as a result of this, but this has caused growing discontent in Thailand and led to anti-Korean sentiment. In addition, it has been pointed out that the fees charged for registration are excessive.
Last year, the wife of Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports and an influencer were denied entry into the country. When this was reported, about 10,000 people canceled their trips to South Korea. On social media, the hashtag "I'm not going to South Korea" became popular.
In Korea, the population is declining, and the labor shortage in the manufacturing industry and the aging of the local population are becoming serious problems. To supplement the labor force, the government is looking to recruit immigrants.
The number of foreign residents in Korea is expected to reach 2.65 million by 2024, making it the first country in East Asia where the foreign population exceeds 5% of the total population. However, there has been a large increase in illegal residents whose work visas have expired, and the number of foreign residents in Korea has been on the rise.
The Korean government has strengthened its crackdown on illegal residents. As part of this, as mentioned above, South Korea has made it mandatory for Thais and others to obtain the K-ETA when visiting South Korea.
According to the "Korea Tour Cancellations" report, at least 91 groups, totaling 9,947 people, in Thailand canceled their planned trips to Korea in 2018.
"Before the anti-Korea travel movement started, Korea was one of the top three most popular travel destinations in Thailand, but that time is over now," Moon said.
Due to increased crackdowns, the number of illegal immigrants in South Korea is expected to peak at 420,000 in 2023, down to 390,000 last year
On the other hand, this has led to a decrease in tourists from Thailand, who had been very interested in traveling to Korea. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) announced last year that it will implement measures to attract Thai tourists to Korea, such as the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice has said that this is a necessary measure to prevent illegal stays and that it is not discriminatory against Thai people.
The second reason for the decline in Thai tourists visiting Korea is said to be the high cost of living in Korea. According to the price database "Numbeo," the cost of living in Seoul compared to Tokyo last year was
Prices in Seoul (excluding rent) were 25.1% higher than in Tokyo, and the average restaurant price in Seoul was 10,500 won (about 1,077 yen), 19.1% higher than in Tokyo (about 905 yen).
Now, Thai tourists are said to be flowing to Japan, Taiwan and other countries. The Korea Tourism Organization, feeling a sense of crisis, invited officials from the Association of Thai Travel Agents and representatives of Thai travel companies this month to hold a seminar on various tourism-related issues.
The program was well-received, according to Korean media. Korea Economy reported that Korea Tourism Organization acting president Seo Young-choon said, "This time, the corporation is promoting friendship between the two countries.
"We will continue to expand our exchanges with the Thai travel industry, including working together to develop various travel products that utilize K-culture," he said.