Jakarta. Indonesia has the attractions, but Thailand’s tourism success shows that beautiful destinations alone may not be enough to draw more international visitors. Better promotion could be one way for Indonesia to close the gap, Thai Ambassador to Indonesia Prapan Disyatat said.

Thailand welcomed 32.9 million international tourists in 2025, more than twice Indonesia’s 15.39 million.

Disyatat said Thailand’s tourism growth was not simply the result of its natural attractions, but also government efforts to promote and market the country.

“Thailand became successful not by sheer luck, or because we have natural beauty and so on, but also through government promotion and marketing,” he said in an exclusive interview with Jakarta Globe.

He said Thailand’s approach includes a dedicated government agency that actively promotes the country overseas and works with tourism businesses.

“I think we can share our experience. In Thailand’s case, we have this agency called the Tourism Authority of Thailand, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism. Its main task is promotion and marketing all over the world. They have an office here in Jakarta as well,” he said.

The agency also helps connect Thai hotels and tour operators with Indonesian counterparts through business matching and special packages, he said.

“For example, they will bring hotel operators from Thailand to have business matching with operators in Indonesia to attract Indonesians to go to Thailand. These hotels offer special deals, special packages, sometimes matching tour operators from both sides. So a lot of work goes into it,” he said.

“But I think Indonesia has all the potential to do that. You have a beautiful country. You have many beautiful attractions. … Again, the promotions,” he said.

The ambassador also said stronger connectivity between the two countries could support such packages, while combined tourism offerings are already included in the bilateral roadmap.

Thailand already attracts large numbers of Western tourists, and Disyatat suggested Indonesia could tap into that existing flow by encouraging visitors to extend their trips to Bali.

“Why not tap into this group? They’re already nearby, only three hours away. Promote your tourism. Why not have them spend two or three more days in Bali?” he said.

The idea is to tap into an existing pool of international tourists traveling in Southeast Asia, rather than competing for them from scratch. For Indonesia, the challenge may therefore be less about finding new attractions and more about turning its existing destinations into a stronger tourism pitch.

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