We are a Vietnam DMC. You would expect us to tell you Vietnam wins. We are not going to – not across the board, because it would not be true, and you would find out.
Thailand is a magnificent destination. It is bigger, better connected, more mature and easier to sell than Vietnam, and on several measures it is not close. Vietnam is the faster-growing, better-value, more varied one with the stronger visa position.
So Vietnam or Thailand? Both are excellent. They have simply stopped being the same sale.
Here is the comparison we would give you over coffee, with the numbers attached.
The one-line answer
| “If your client wants a straightforward beach holiday with short transfers, deep resort choice and a direct flight from their home airport, send them to Thailand. If they want landscape, history, food and a country that still feels like a discovery – and they have two weeks – send them to Vietnam.” |
Everything below is the detail behind that sentence.
Scale and momentum
These two countries are moving in opposite directions, and it is worth being precise about what that does and does not mean.
| Thailand | Vietnam | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrivals 2025 | 32.97 million | 21.2 million | Thailand is still half again as large. |
| Change on 2024 | Down 7.2% | Up 20.4% | Thailand’s first non-pandemic decline in a decade. |
| January to July 2026 | 18.5 million | 13.9 million | Thailand down 3.2%, Vietnam up 13.8%. |
| 2026 target | 36.7 million | 25 million | Independent forecasters put Thailand nearer 33-34 million. |
| Revenue per arrival | Around US$1,400 | Around US$900 | Thailand earns considerably more per visitor. This is a real gap. |
| Chinese market 2025 | 4.47 million, down 33.5% | 5.2 million, up 41% | Vietnam overtook Thailand here – the one headline reversal. |
| Russian market 2025 | 1.9 million | 689,000 | Thailand is far larger. Vietnam is growing much faster. |
Read that table honestly and it says two things. Vietnam has the momentum. Thailand has the scale and the yield. A destination that earns 1,400 dollars per visitor is doing something right, and Vietnam’s own analysts openly describe their market as high-volume and lower-yield.
| Where the reversal is real In 2025 Vietnam took more Chinese visitors than Thailand for the first time – 5.2 million against 4.47 million. That is a genuine shift and Thai media reported it themselves. It is also the only market where Vietnam is ahead. Elsewhere Thailand remains comfortably larger. |
Visas: Vietnam’s clearest win
This is the one area where Vietnam is straightforwardly ahead, and the gap is about to widen.
Vietnam gives 45 days visa-free to around 25 nationalities. That covers Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, the Nordics, and – since August 2025 – Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and several more. The two resolutions behind it run to March and August 2028. Anyone else can apply for a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa online.
Thailand currently gives 60 days visa-free to 93 countries. But in May 2026 the Thai cabinet approved cutting that to 30 days for 59 countries, and reducing visa on arrival from 31 countries to a handful. As we write, the change is approved but awaiting publication in the Royal Gazette, and takes effect 15 days after that.
| Passport | Thailand now | Thailand once gazetted | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU and Schengen | 60 days | 30 days | 45 days for most member states |
| United Kingdom | 60 days | 30 days | 45 days |
| Russia | Confirm with the embassy | Confirm with the embassy | 45 days |
| Everyone else | Visa required beyond exemption | Visa required beyond exemption | 90-day multiple-entry e-visa, all nationalities |
| Arrival admin | TDAC digital arrival card, mandatory and free | Same | None equivalent |
| Policy direction | Tightening | Tightening | Fixed by resolution until 2028 |
| Two things to check before you quote• Has the Royal Gazette published yet? Thailand’s 30-day rule can take effect with 15 days’ notice, so verify on the day you confirm the booking. Clients who enter before the effective date keep their existing permitted stay.• Do not quote a figure for Russian passport holders entering Thailand without checking. Russia has historically had a separate bilateral arrangement and current reporting is contradictory. Ask the embassy.• Thailand’s TDAC digital arrival card is mandatory for everyone and is free. Submit within 72 hours of arrival at the official immigration site. Any site charging for it is a scam – warn your clients. |
For a tour operator building a 2027 programme, a visa position guaranteed to 2028 is genuinely useful. It lets you contract capacity without policy risk sitting under the deal. That is Vietnam’s advantage and it is worth stating plainly.
Getting there: Thailand wins, decisively
There is no way to dress this up, so we will not try.
Bangkok has non-stop service from roughly 18 European airports, flown by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, KLM, Air France, British Airways, SAS, Finnair, ITA, LOT, Norse Atlantic, Condor and Thai Airways. Then there is the entire Gulf-carrier network one stop behind it.
Vietnam has non-stop service from about 12 European countries, and outside Air France no Western European flag carrier serves it. There is no non-stop from Spain, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium or Portugal. Da Nang has no European non-stop at all.
Flight times are similar – around 11 hours to Bangkok, around 12 to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. The difference is choice, frequency and price competition, and Thailand has far more of all three.
| The direction of travel, in Vietnam’s favour • Europe to Vietnam passed one million one-way seats in 2025 and is up roughly a third again in 2026 – a record. • New in 2026: Hanoi to Amsterdam with Vietnam Airlines from 16 June, Vietnam’s first ever non-stop to the Netherlands. Hanoi to Prague with Vietjet from 10 October. Minsk to Nha Trang with Belavia from 27 June. Copenhagen and Milan were added in late 2025, and Vietnam Airlines is expanding at Heathrow. • European arrivals to Vietnam grew 53.4% in the first seven months of 2026, the fastest of any region. |
So the trajectory is excellent. The current base is not comparable. If your client is flying from Vienna or Madrid, Thailand is simply easier.
Cost: Vietnam wins on the ground, less so on the room
Vietnam is the cheaper country day to day – roughly 20 to 30% cheaper across meals, tours, guiding, entrance fees and internal transport. A mid-market traveller might budget 40 to 70 dollars a day in Vietnam against 50 to 90 in Thailand.
But here is the part most comparisons skip, and your margin depends on it.
| The assumption: Vietnam is much cheaper across the board, including hotels. | The reality: Ho Chi Minh City’s average daily rate is about 131 dollars. Bangkok’s is about 124. Vietnam’s branded rooms are not cheaper. |
Vietnamese hotel rates rose 7.2% last year with revenue per available room up 17.1%, while Bangkok’s rates fell 2.1% under new supply. Vietnam’s real price advantage is in everything around the room – food, guiding, ground handling, excursions. In four- and five-star city rooms it has largely gone.
Phuket sits higher again, at around 220 dollars average, but that reflects a much deeper luxury resort inventory rather than poor value. If your client wants a genuine five-star beach resort with a track record, Thailand still has more of them.
Seasons: Thailand is easier to sell, and that matters
This is the most underrated difference between the two, and it favours Thailand.
Thailand has two coasts on offset monsoons. When the Andaman side is wet in July, Koh Samui is at its best. When Samui floods in November, Phuket is entering peak season. That means there is a good Thai beach somewhere in almost every month of the year – which, for an agent selling year-round, is a real commercial advantage.
Vietnam has three climate zones and no single month is good everywhere.
| Period | Vietnam north | Vietnam centre | Vietnam south |
|---|---|---|---|
| March to May | Good, 20-25C | Excellent, calm seas | Hot and dry, good |
| June to August | Hot, August wettest | Good, hot | Wet season, afternoon rain |
| September to November | October and November are superb | Typhoon season, Hoi An floods | Wet, easing by November |
| December to February | Cold and grey, 10-17C | Cool and damp | Excellent, 25-32C |
March comes closest to working everywhere, and is priced accordingly. The two hardest clashes are October and November – glorious in Hanoi and Ha Long, genuinely risky in Hue and Hoi An – and December to February, superb in the south and cold and drizzly in the north.
Vietnam rewards an agent who knows the calendar. Thailand forgives one who does not. That is a fair thing to say and worth factoring into how much time you spend on the brief.
| One in Thailand’s debit column, for balance Northern Thailand’s burning season runs February to April, and Chiang Mai regularly records some of the world’s worst air quality in exactly the months when European demand peaks. If your client’s heart is set on northern hill country in March, northern Vietnam is the more comfortable answer. |
Product, honestly assessed
| Category | Wins | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Beaches and islands | Thailand, clearly | More islands, better beaches, mature inter-island transfers, two coasts. Vietnam’s coast is long and improving but the island product is thinner. |
| Nightlife | Thailand, decisively | Not a contest. Bangkok, Phuket, Samui. |
| Wellness and spa | Thailand, decisively | A globally established sector with world-leading destination spas. Vietnam is a decade behind and knows it. |
| Diving | Thailand, clearly | The Similans, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tao. Vietnam’s sites are pleasant with shorter seasons and lower visibility. |
| Luxury hotel supply | Thailand today | Deeper existing inventory. But Vietnam now ranks fourth in Asia-Pacific for pipeline against Thailand’s fifth – by 2028 this is a real contest. |
| Family suitability | Thailand | More resort product with kids’ clubs, shorter transfers, water parks, better medical facilities. Vietnam’s family product is strong in Phu Quoc and Da Nang but narrower. |
| Older or less mobile clients | Thailand, clearly | Better pavements and lifts, more accessible hotel stock, shorter transfers, and beach resorts reachable without a domestic flight. Worth conceding openly. |
| Infrastructure maturity | Thailand, decisively | Four decades of head start in airports, roads, ground handling and crisis management. |
| Trekking | Vietnam, clearly | Sapa, Ha Giang, Pu Luong. More dramatic landscapes and more intact minority culture than northern Thailand, and no burning season. |
| Cultural and historical variety | Vietnam, narrowly | Eight UNESCO sites, a vivid modern history, French colonial cities, Hoi An, and northern ethnic cultures. Thailand’s Ayutthaya, Sukhothai and Bangkok temples are superb – Vietnam’s range is simply wider. |
| Value for money | Vietnam | Around 20 to 30% cheaper on the ground, though not on branded rooms. |
| Visa position | Vietnam | 45 days for around 25 nationalities, fixed to 2028, plus a 90-day e-visa for everyone else. |
| Novelty for repeat visitors | Vietnam | For a client who has done Thailand twice, Vietnam still feels like new ground. |
| Food | Too close to call | Both are world-class. Bangkok has more fine-dining depth; Vietnam is lighter, more regionally varied and often gentler on cautious palates. |
| Cities | Too close to call | Bangkok is the more complete world city. Vietnam has two genuinely distinct ones in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. |
Count it up and Thailand takes more categories than Vietnam. We are a Vietnam company and that is still the honest scoreboard. What it does not capture is that the categories are not equally weighted for every client – which is the whole point of the next section.
Which client goes where
| If your client is… | Send them to | Because |
|---|---|---|
| First-time Asia, one week, wants a beach | Thailand | Direct flight, short transfer, deep resort choice, no itinerary complexity. |
| Two weeks, wants to see a country | Vietnam | North to south gives landscape, cities, coast and history in one trip. |
| A family with young children | Thailand | Broader resort product, shorter transfers, better facilities. |
| A family with teenagers | Either – lean Vietnam | Caves, kayaking, motorbike loops and street food travel well with that age group. |
| Sixty-five plus, mobility a factor | Thailand | Fewer internal flights, better accessibility, easier ground. Be honest about this. |
| Has already done Thailand twice | Vietnam | The novelty argument is the strongest one we have, and it is a real one. |
| Diving or wellness focused | Thailand | Not close on either. |
| Wants trekking and hill culture | Vietnam | Sapa and Ha Giang, with no burning season. |
| Budget-conscious but wants a full itinerary | Vietnam | The daily cost difference compounds over two weeks. |
| Travelling in October or November | Thailand, or Vietnam’s north only | Central Vietnam is genuinely risky in those months. Do not sell Hoi An blind in late October. |
| Wants both, has 16 days or more | Both | See below. |
The case for selling both
The most useful conclusion is not that one country beats the other. It is that they combine unusually well.
A twin-centre trip that pairs a Vietnam itinerary with a Thai beach week gives your client contrast rather than repetition – culture, landscape and food first, then genuine downtime on a mature island with a resort that does the work for you. It solves Vietnam’s seasonal awkwardness, because you can put the beach week wherever the weather is best. It solves Thailand’s sameness problem for a repeat visitor. And it sells at a higher value than either country alone.
There is now direct service between Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket, which makes the connection straightforward.
We would rather help you build that than pretend Thailand is not very good at what it does.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?
On the ground, yes – roughly 20 to 30% cheaper for meals, tours, guiding, entrance fees and internal transport. But branded hotel rooms are not cheaper. Ho Chi Minh City’s average daily rate is around 131 US dollars against Bangkok’s 124, and Vietnamese rates are rising while Bangkok’s are falling.
Which is better for families, Vietnam or Thailand?
Thailand for young children – more resort product with kids’ clubs, shorter transfers, better beach infrastructure and medical facilities. Vietnam works very well for families with teenagers, where caves, kayaking and street food are part of the appeal.
How long can Europeans stay in Vietnam and Thailand without a visa?
Vietnam gives 45 days to around 25 nationalities including most of Western and Central Europe and the UK, fixed by resolution until 2028. Thailand currently gives 60 days but has approved a reduction to 30 days, pending publication in the Royal Gazette. Check Thailand’s status on the day you book.
Is it easier to fly to Vietnam or Thailand from Europe?
Thailand, clearly. Bangkok has non-stop service from around 18 European airports across many carriers; Vietnam has non-stop from about 12 European countries. Vietnam is adding routes quickly – Amsterdam in June 2026 and Prague in October 2026 – but the base is smaller.
When is the best time to visit Vietnam compared with Thailand?
Thailand has a good beach option in almost every month because its two coasts run on offset monsoons. Vietnam has three climate zones and no month is ideal everywhere; March comes closest. October and November are superb in the north but risky in Hue and Hoi An.
Can you combine Vietnam and Thailand in one trip?
Yes, and it works well with 16 days or more. Vietnam first for culture, landscape and food, then a Thai island for a resort week. There is direct service between Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket, and the beach leg can be placed wherever the season is best.
The bottom line
Thailand is a superb destination that has been getting this right for forty years, and on connectivity, islands, wellness, accessibility and sheer product depth it is ahead. Any agent who tells you otherwise is selling something.
Vietnam’s case is different and it is a strong one: better value on the ground, a better visa position locked in until 2028, more landscape and historical variety, and the pace of improvement is remarkable – a million European seats a year, new routes almost quarterly, and an APEC summit landing on Phu Quoc in 2027.
Match the country to the client and you will not go wrong with either. And if you are not sure which one a particular brief calls for, ask someone who will give you a straight answer.
| Not sure which one fits your client? VietOne Travel is a Saigon-based DMC working with European and Russian agents. Send us the brief – dates, budget, ages, what they want out of it – and we will tell you honestly whether Vietnam is the right answer. If it is not, we will say so. If it is, you will get a costed itinerary that accounts for the season. |
