Rainy holidays, AC exports: Thailand eyes red-hot business from Europe heatwave

With tourism and outbound shipments two of the Southeast Asian economy’s biggest drivers, Europe’s heatwaves are creating opportunities on both fronts.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign encouraging European travellers to swap scorching summer temperatures for the nation’s milder rainy season, luring visitors with discounted hotel rates and fewer crowds.

And as tourism officials hope Europeans will come to Thailand to escape the heat, the country’s manufacturers are increasingly sending the cooling to them.

Thailand’s exports of air conditioners to Europe jumped 41.3 per cent from a year earlier to US$130.1 million in May, while shipments in the first five months of the year rose 16.5 per cent to US$696.8 million, commerce ministry data shows.

Europe accounted for 18 per cent of Thailand’s air conditioner exports last year, making it the second largest market after the US. France and Germany are among the country’s biggest European buyers. Exports to Germany jumped 37.2 per cent in the January-May period, while shipments to France rose 13.9 per cent.

The surge comes as much of Europe grapples with homes built to retain heat rather than keep it out, leaving households increasingly vulnerable as heatwaves become more frequent. Retailers in Germany have reported shortages of portable air conditioners and electric fans as temperatures climbed well above seasonal norms.