Secondary wellness travellers — those whose primary motivation is leisure, but who also spend on wellness-related activities during their trip.
The spending gap between the two groups averages around US$1,000 (approximately 30,000 baht) per trip.
The proportion of secondary wellness travellers has been rising significantly, reflecting growing interest in integrated wellness experiences. Industry experts suggest that Thai operators should diversify and enhance their offerings, from improving service quality to creating long-stay packages, multi-day retreat programmes, and bundled experiences combining spa, nutrition, accommodation, fitness, and medical treatments.
Such initiatives could boost overall spending and strengthen Thailand’s position as a leading destination in the global wellness tourism industry.
Sunai noted that among Thailand’s direct wellness service businesses, hospitals remain the top revenue earners, followed by pharmacies, cosmetic and pharmaceutical manufacturing, tour operators, and finally spa businesses, which are now seeing an increasing number of new operators entering the market.
He said the concepts and formats of Thai spas have become more diverse, with a growing trend among luxury hotel spas to transform into full-scale wellness destinations through collaboration or partnership models. A key example, he cited, is the partnership between BDMS and Sri Panwa, combining medical expertise with hospitality to elevate Thailand’s wellness standards.
“If we look at the ‘Wellness & Spa’ market from its traditional spa foundation, Thai customers still represent a very important main group,” Sunai explained. “Entrepreneurs must first design products and services that cater to domestic needs, as the concept of wellness remains relatively new to Thai consumers. When Thais think of ‘spa’, they often associate it more with beauty services such as scrubs and baths rather than massage. Expanding domestic wellness tourism will therefore be vital for business resilience, helping sustain the sector through any crisis, even though Thai customers currently account for only about 20% compared to 80% foreign clientele.”
According to the association, the top three foreign markets for Thai spa clients are Malaysia, China, and Singapore, mostly mass-market travellers from Southeast Asia. Thai spas are still competitively priced, around 200 to 300 baht per hour, which poses both an advantage and a challenge for the industry.
Sunai added that most employment in the spa sector consists of both full-time and freelance workers closely tied to the tourism and hotel industries. Upgrading the sector into a broader health and wellness framework would strengthen the overall industry, improve labour conditions, and help resolve chronic workforce shortages.
He also noted that over the past two years, 40-50% of spa operators have reported an increase in tourists seeking health-oriented services, underscoring Thailand’s potential to evolve into a global wellness powerhouse.
A notable emerging trend is rehabilitation tourism, driven by wellness travellers who plan their trips to Thailand with clear health and recovery goals, unlike typical spa-goers, who often visit on impulse. Experts say Thailand has strong potential in this segment, with opportunities to develop long-term care and rehabilitation programmes that combine medical expertise, hospitality, and holistic wellbeing.
At the same time, the global wellness real estate sector, encompassing health-focused residential and hospitality projects, is expanding rapidly. However, Thailand’s investment in this field still lags behind other international hubs such as Dubai, Singapore, and China, where awareness and consumer spending on wellness living are already at an advanced stage.
Nevertheless, Thailand’s wellness and spa industry is expected to grow steadily, with revenues projected to return to pre-pandemic levels within the next one to two years. In the broader wellness economy, Thailand faces rising competition from Indonesia and the Philippines, which benefit from larger domestic markets and population bases.
To stay competitive, Thailand must leverage its core strengths, including medical excellence, traditional herbal knowledge, and creative innovation — while also investing in technology development and strategic government policies that promote health tourism.
A key growth area lies in reframing Thailand’s food industry through a health-conscious lens, integrating nutrition and wellness into the country’s culinary identity. Such initiatives, Sunai said, would help attract and retain high-spending international visitors seeking repeat wellness experiences in Thailand.
Read more on The Nation Thailand
