Thailand Unveils Luxury Thai Spa Tourism Plan Worth $2B

Experts Recommend Redesigning Thai Spa Experience

The Thai spa industry needs a complete makeover to stay competitive in the global wellness market. Industry experts want the sector to go beyond just massage services. Thai Spa Association’s President Sunai Wachirawarakarn leads this change and supports a complete approach to wellness tourism.

Sunai Wachirawarakarn wants Thai spas to offer more than just massages

Sunai believes Thai spas should grow beyond their roots. “Wellness is not just about massage. It’s about anything that can improve wellbeing,” he says. He sees chances to create spaces where visitors can enjoy healthy Thai food and experience Thailand’s famous hospitality.

His plans include using Thailand’s cultural strengths that rank high globally. Thai food stands at sixth place worldwide, while Thai hospitality (the ‘Thai smile’) ranks fourth. These assets are the foundations of new spa experiences.

“So why don’t we use this soft power to our advantage? We already have these assets, but we just need to redesign how we present them,” Sunai explains. He suggests businesses should offer more than simple services and create complete wellness packages that attract big spenders.

This change matches growing trends in wellness tourism. These trips make up 7.8% of all global travel, and wellness travelers spend more than regular tourists. The Thai Spa Association helps guide this development, pushing the industry toward all-encompassing wellness destinations.

Thai spa massage industry must create new business models

Sunai suggests a big change in how spas work. “We don’t need a human-based revenue-generating business model anymore. We need something that generates revenue from the facility itself,” he states. This approach would help businesses make better use of Thailand’s natural spaces and resources.

Sunai looks at international standards Thailand should follow:

• Singapore’s wellness facilities that locals and tourists can use
• Dubai’s business-minded approach to wellness facility growth
• Italy’s big spa facilities with huge hydrotherapy pools

These examples inspire his idea for Thailand to build spa facilities like Disneyland. Visitors could enjoy fun activities while getting wellness benefits. “I am confident that in every city, whenever we have this kind of space, we can make it more creative. It should not just focus on physical wellbeing, but also mental wellbeing,” he adds.

Industry experts say Thai operators should vary their offerings through:

• Better service quality
• Long-stay packages and multi-day retreat programs
• Complete experiences that mix spa treatments, nutrition, accommodation, fitness, and medical services

Thai spa concepts have started to change. Luxury hotel spas now turn into full wellness destinations through mutually beneficial alliances. BDMS and Sri Panwa work together to mix medical knowledge with hospitality excellence to raise Thailand’s wellness standards.

President Sunai Wachirawarakarn says growing domestic wellness tourism will help businesses survive global crises. Right now, Thai customers make up only 20% of clients, while foreign visitors account for 80%. More local customers would help during international travel problems.

The future Thai spa industry must welcome new technology, biohacking, and sustainability. Services need to help aging populations through customized health programs. Artificial intelligence, diagnostics, assessments, and customized preventive health approaches will meet younger generations’ needs.

TAT Promotes Wellness Infrastructure Over Human-Based Services

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) leads a major change in the country’s wellness strategy. Their new approach prioritizes infrastructure development over traditional human-delivered services. They want to create immersive wellness destinations that generate higher revenue and use Thailand’s natural resources better.

Proposal for Disneyland-style spa facilities

The Thai Spa Association looks at global entertainment destinations and proposes large-scale, immersive wellness complexes similar to theme parks. Sunai Wachirawarakarn, President of the Thai Spa Association, sees facilities where visitors can enjoy entertainment and complete wellbeing services in one place.

“Thailand could develop spa facilities in the style of Disneyland, where visitors not only enjoy entertainment and leisure but also benefit from wellbeing services,” Sunai explained at a recent industry forum. This concept marks a significant change from traditional thai spa operations that focus on individual treatments by therapists.

These wellness complexes would feature:

• Combined wellness trips with multiple treatment types
• Areas for physical and mental wellbeing activities
• Smart design that makes the most of natural resources
• Healthy Thai cuisine as part of the complete experience
• Creative spaces that highlight Thailand’s cultural heritage

Thailand already has excellent wellness facilities, including world-renowned places like Chiva-Som International Health Resort and The Siam – Opium Spa. Notwithstanding that, these facilities typically run on a therapist-centered service model.

Thailand plans to build entire wellness destinations. The country has made progress with initiatives like the universal accessibility development concept. A new tourism route opened between Bangkok and Khon Kaen Province in August 2024. This route promotes wellness tourism with universal design infrastructure that’s available to people with disabilities.

Focus on facility-driven revenue generation

This strategic change centers on a new business model that prioritizes facility-based revenue over human-provided services. “We don’t need a human-based revenue-generating business model anymore. We need something that generates revenue from the facility itself,” Sunai emphasized.

This approach brings several economic benefits. It creates scalability that wasn’t possible with therapist-dependent services. Businesses can maximize space usage and use Thailand’s natural resources better. Thai spa massage becomes part of a broader wellness experience instead of standalone treatments.

The economic potential looks promising. Wellness tourists spend about 100,259 baht per person per trip. Visitors from the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania represent high-value segments. Thailand’s wellness economy showed remarkable strength by growing 28.4% between 2022-2023, reaching about 1.4 trillion baht.

TAT has picked key wellness destinations for infrastructure development. Pattaya, Hua Hin, and Krabi will become premier health and wellness tourism hubs. The Public Health Ministry has set aside 509.9 million baht in the 2026 budget to create wellness hubs in border provinces.

The wellness infrastructure goes beyond traditional royal thai spa facilities to include integrative medical services. Thailand now has 2,189 wellness centers, and over 160 have quality standard certification. Leading places like RAKxa Integrative Wellness and Bangkok Hospital Pattaya offer complete wellness programs that combine medical care with traditional therapies.

“I am confident that in every city, whenever we have this kind of space, we can make it more creative,” Sunai noted, explaining that these facilities should address both physical and mental wellbeing. Thailand steadily positions itself against international wellness destinations while creating unique experiences that can’t be copied elsewhere.

Soft Power Assets Like Thai Food and Thai Smile Gain Strategic Role

Thailand’s cultural heritage offers great ways to enhance wellness tourism. The country’s famous culinary traditions and legendary hospitality now combine smoothly with the thai spa industry to create authentic experiences that competitors find hard to copy.

Thailand ranks high in global food and friendliness indexes

Thailand earned the prestigious title of world’s best food destination in 2025 in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, scoring 98.33 out of 100. This recognition shows the country’s vibrant food culture, legendary night markets, and world-class dining scene. Seven Bangkok restaurants now rank among the world’s top 35.

Thailand holds a strong position in key cultural areas according to the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025. The country ranks 6th globally for “food the world loves” for three years running. Thailand also claims the 4th position worldwide in the “friendly people” category, moving up seven places. This is proof of the famous Thai smile that greets visitors.

The country has kept its 8th place for “fun” since 2024, showing its appeal as a top destination. These rankings highlight Thailand’s exceptional position where many other destinations struggle to compete.

“Thai food embodies the principle of ‘Food as Medicine’ — balancing taste, nutrition, and healing,” notes one industry expert. “Thai cuisine can become both an economic driver and a cultural ambassador for wellness tourism if we communicate this connection well.”

Experts suggest integrating cultural identity into spa experiences

Industry leaders now promote a more thoughtful integration of these cultural strengths into the thai spa massage experience. Pramote Dechaboonsiripanich, Managing Director of Panpuri, highlights Thailand’s unique sensory identity: “Panpuri transforms these senses into holistic wellness experiences through natural fragrances and ancient Thai wisdom. This ‘Thai Senses’ approach embodies Thailand’s soft power — authentic, soothing, and healing — that appeals deeply to global consumers”.

This approach lines up with Sunai Wachirawarakarn’s vision to use Thailand’s existing soft power assets. “We already have these assets, but we just need to redesign how we present them,” he explains.

Thailand has created a formal sensory approach through the Thainess Wellness Destination (TWD) certification system. The system has certified 96 centers nationwide based on six sensory assessment criteria:

• Figure (Eye): Space, Design-Thai Architecture
• Taste (Tongue): Thai Food, Herbal Ingredients
• Smell (Nose): Essential Oils, Thai Flowers
• Sound (Ear): Thai Music, Music Therapy
• Touch (Skin): Massage, Hot Spring Bath, Spa
• Mind (Mind): Meditation, Yoga, Music Therapy

This comprehensive approach shows how cultural identity can become part of the royal thai spa experience. Thailand’s Expo 2025 pavilion showcases “one of Thailand’s greatest Soft Power assets: the integration of medical service with Traditional Thai health and wellness practices”.

Industry experts know that authentic Thai hospitality, shown through the warm Thai smile and genuine service approach, gives them a major competitive edge that should stay alongside technological advances. High-value wellness tourists increasingly seek this cultural authenticity – not just treatments, but immersive experiences that connect them with Thailand’s rich heritage.

Content Creators and Social Media Drive New Spa Narratives

Social media influencers and digital platforms are vital drivers in Thailand’s new wellness tourism strategy. They are changing how tourists see and participate in the country’s thai spa offerings. This transformation shows a fundamental change in how wellness destinations present themselves to international visitors.

Influencers help reshape Thailand’s wellness image

Content creators now play a key role in changing narratives around Thailand’s wellness tourism beyond traditional advertising. “The best influencers are the travelers themselves. When they talk about Thailand and return, that’s the key,” explains Suvita Charanwong, CEO and Co-founder of Tellscore. She believes that content creators are not just PR tools but “living entities who can establish genuine relationships and build communities on social media”.

Suvita also gave an explanation of how these digital personalities effectively counter misinformation that sometimes spreads online about Thailand’s safety and offerings for specific demographics, including LGBT travelers.

Thai fitness influencers across the country have become instrumental in promoting wellness culture both domestically and internationally:

• Bebe Thanchanok – An ACE certified personal trainer skilled in aerial, pilates, and boxing who shares daily fitness routines
• Alita Pear – Voted Health & Fitness Influencer by Influence Asia in both 2015 and 2017
• Befitwithjess – A fitness coach who has created transformations for more than 5,000 people over five years through her Fitness and Weight Loss Diet program

These influencers showcase authentic thai massage and wellness experiences. They help potential visitors picture themselves enjoying royal thai spa services firsthand. Their focus started with fitness, and many have expanded to cover comprehensive wellness approaches that line up with Thailand’s broader wellness tourism goals.

Platforms like Xiaohongshu and iQIYI target Gen Z travelers

Platforms like iQIYI and Xiaohongshu are great ways to target specific audiences, especially Gen Z travelers from China. Thailand ranked as the third most popular tourism destination for Chinese people in 2023, with about 1 million Chinese tourists visiting between January and May 2023.

Xiaohongshu (also known as Red Note) has become China’s leading social commerce platform. Users share authentic, lifestyle-oriented content that directly influences travel decisions. Millennials made up more than two-thirds of Xiaohongshu’s user base by the end of 2023—a demographic that matches the main travelers in the market.

THE LEMON SHOT, a prominent Thai creator agency, announced a partnership with Xiaohongshu as its first Local Media Partner in Thailand. This partnership gives the agency access to analytical insights from Xiaohongshu, including search trends, consumer behaviors, and popular product categories.

“This is a significant step for Thai brands entering the Chinese market with confidence and sustainability because we come equipped with in-depth data, a team specialized in Cross-Border Marketing, and genuine understanding of Chinese consumers,” noted Kanokporn Prachyaset, CEO of THE LEMON SHOT.

The platform does more than help people find services—it creates a continuous cycle. Users’ attention is drawn to content, they experience services in real life, then return online to share their experiences. This approach works well to counter misconceptions about Thailand’s safety, as travelers who have experienced the country firsthand often find it “safe, assured, and happy” in stark comparison to online rumors.