Songkran - Thailand’s biggest new year water festival is underway. People visit family in their hometowns during the holiday season and wash the feet of their elders with scented water in a cleansing ritual. But the energy crisis has made driving back home prohibitively expensive for many locals this year.

In the capital of Bangkok, however, celebrations are taking place as usual. Every year, the city transforms into a haven for revellers and holidaymakers from around the world.

Thailand’s tourism industry is one of the most visible drivers of its economy, drawing millions of visitors each year with its beaches, culture and festivals. But that reliance also comes with growing pressure from overcrowded hotspots to environmental strains.

And this year, an energy crunch triggered by the Iran war is adding another layer of uncertainty, affecting travel plans, domestic movement, and the cost of keeping the tourism engine running, raising questions about the longevity and sustainability of Thailand’s travel industry.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to two guests - Panisa Aemocha, a BBC World Service reporter based in Thailand, and Kiatananatha Lounkaew, an economic professor at Thammasat University in Bangkok, to unpack Thailand’s tourism-dependent economy.

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Thailand’s complicated relationship with tourism

Asia Specific