Thailand Pai River tubing attraction packed with tourists as industry recovers post Covid

The video shoes a popular tourist spot in Thailand packed with international visitors. Photo / @roritarkratair, TikTok

A recent video on TikTok suggests the tourism industry is alive and well in Thailand, showing thousands of tourists partaking in a popular water-based activity.

A TikTok video from Thai user @roritarkratair shows a mass of foreign tourists tubing along the Pai River in the northern province of Mae Hong Son, Thailand. According to comments on the video, it is one sign the kingdom’s tourism industry is making a strong recovery.

Posted two days ago, on February 22, the video shows dozens of tourists bumping into one another as they jostle down the river in large inflatable tubes. Viewers believe the footage was taken at Pai River, at the Rim Pai Cottage Hotel in the Pai district of Mae Hong Son.

According to a hotel staff member, 90 per cent of tourists in the province were foreigners and almost all accommodation options along the river provided tubing activities, reported the daily local newspaper, Khaosod.

Thai citizens commented on @roritarkratair’s video and confirmed Pai was currently packed with foreign tourists. Some were happy about the return of visitors from around the world.

“I am happy that they enjoy travelling in Thailand. Hope you all have a fun trip!,” commented one social media user.

“I met many Russian people in Pai!” another added.

@roritarkratair

PERFECT for tubing! #tuesdayvibes อำเภอปาย

♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ - Roritar Chipmunk 🐿️ - Roritar Chipmunk 🐿️

Others, however, were less pleased about the inconvenience a wave of visitors can create.

“I visited Pai last month and felt like a superfluous person. Foreigners were everywhere. I felt like I was travelling aboard!” commented one person.

Those in the tourism and hospitality industry are largely pleased about the influx of tourists following a tough few years of pandemic restrictions.

Thailand is expected to welcome around 30 million foreign tourists this year, which will bring in around 3 trillion baht (NZ$1.4 billion) according to the Tourism Industry Council of Thailand.

Since opening borders on October 1, 2022, more than 17 million passengers have passed through Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand’s main airport, on more than 100,000 flights.