On 24 August 2026, Her Excellency Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, was invited as the Guest of Honour and delivered remarks at the Amazing Thailand and Pattaya Roadshow to Malaysia 2026, organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in collaboration with the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organisation at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The Ambassador was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Pimpa Rattanapruek, TAT’s Deputy Executive Director for the ASEAN, South Asia, and South Pacific Region; Mrs. Jantana Thongdaeng, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organisation; and Mr. Mongkol Wattaro, Director of the TAT (Kuala Lumpur Office). The Event brought together more than 200 representatives from the Thai and Malaysian tourism industry.

 

In her remarks, Ambassador Lada highlighted the vital role of tourism in fostering closer ties and mutual understanding between the peoples of Thailand and Malaysia, while underscoring the steady progress in enhanced connectivity between the two countries through land, rail, air, and sea transport, which has made travel more seamless while contributing to the shared goal of achieving the bilateral trade target of USD 30 billion by 2027, the year marking the 70th anniversary of Thailand – Malaysia diplomatic relations.

 

Furthermore, Ambassador Lada also highlighted Thailand’s tourism policy for 2026 under the “Value over Volume” approach and the “Amazing 5 Economy” strategy, while embracing emerging opportunities like sustainable and Muslim-friendly tourism, medical wellness, and the application of the digital economy in the tourism sector, in line with the “Healing is the New Luxury” campaign. The Ambassador further showcased Pattaya as among model destinations for quality tourism that balance sustainability, entertainment, and creative community-based tourism.

 

On this occasion, the Ambassador reiterated the Royal Thai Embassy’s readiness to support closer cooperation between the tourism sectors of Thailand and Malaysia, facilitate seamless travel connectivity, and strengthen people-to-people ties for the mutual benefit and prosperity of both countries.

 

Malaysia continues to be one of Thailand’s most important tourism markets. In 2025, Malaysia ranked as the largest source of international visitors to Thailand, with 4.52 million arrivals. Between 1 January and 15 August 2026, more than 2.5 million Malaysian tourists visited Thailand, making Malaysia the second-largest source market during the period.