Thailand

Market Overview

Thailand is a relatively small market for New Zealand, with around 20,000 visitor arrivals each year. However the market is an important contributor to overall arrivals from South East Asia.

Thai Airways International currently provides four non-stop services between Bangkok and Auckland each week. The airline is expected to announce an additional service from October 2010.

Thai travellers are highly likely to travel outside of the main tourism centres (67 per cent) and outside of the peak summer months. The peak season for Thai visitors is during the school holidays of March through until May, and in October.

There is strong interest from Thailand in independent and self-drive holidays, with interest in campervan holidays also increasing. New Zealand is also a popular choice for Thai incentive groups, with group sizes ranging from 20 to 800 people. Incentive groups account for 30 per cent of the holiday market and help boost visitor numbers from Thailand during winter and the spring/autumn shoulder seasons.

English study tours are another important aspect of the Thai holiday market, particularly in March and April. Family and relatives often visit their children in New Zealand during Thai long-weekend holidays throughout the year.

What We're Up To

• A Thai drama series 'Dok Som Sri Thong', or The Golden Orange Flower, was filmed in Napier, Rotorua and Auckland over seven days in April. A total of 21 cast and crew were in New Zealand as part of the partnership project between Tourism New Zealand, Thai Airways and Auckland International Airport. The drama is scheduled to screen on prime time television in October 2010 in Thailand and expected to reach six million viewers nationwide.
• A press conference was held on 24 June 2010 at Sheraton Grande Hotel, Bangkok, to launch the drama series, 'Dok Som Sri Thong'. The event was presided over by New Zealand's Ambassador to Thailand, along with Thai Airways senior executives, Auckland International Airport and Thai TV Channel 3. It drew over 40 industry guests and 100 media.
• Speaking at the press conference, New Zealand Ambassador for Thailand Bede Cory said "New Zealand's stunning natural landscape, vibrant cultural mix and excellent infrastructure make it a dream destination for overseas visitors, especially Thais. It comes as no surprise to me that 'Dok Som Sri Thong' was filmed in New Zealand."
• A group of three print and one broadcast media travelled to New Zealand to follow the trails of the drama series film crew, combined with additional tourist locations in Tauranga, Waitomo and Matamata. Coverage has appeared in May with four broadcast news stories on free-to-air Channel 9, and more feature stories in print media in June/July promoting the drama series.
• In February, Tourism New Zealand and Tourism Rotorua ran a joint promotion at the Thai International Travel Fair in Bangkok, promoting travel to New Zealand in autumn and self-drive holidays. This is Thailand's largest annual outbound travel show. It attracted 700,000 visitors, well up on 2009, generating NZD in revenue.
• From December 2009 through to February 2010, True Academy Fantasia featured both the North and South Islands of New Zealand in a new music video of pop star singer Jo Panupol, one of the winners of True Academy Fantasia in 2005.  The music video, along with promotional teaser spots and scoops, featured on seven True Vision satellite television channels, with over 900 spot frequencies.
• Training for front-line travel sellers will be held in Thailand in October, involving New Zealand operators attending Kiwi Link Asia in Singapore. Thai travel sellers will also be present at this year's Kiwi Link Asia event.