Thailand has the Vietnam War to thank for its rise as a major tourist destination

Thailand’s tourism success story has an unlikely cause: The Vietnam War. The US military found the country to be a convenient location to base their personnel, and with over 50,000 soldiers stationed, America began to develop infrastructure and send aid as off-duty soldiers drove the growth of the leisure and entertainment sector, according to Bloomberg. As the soldiers’ demand for leisure increased, so did tourism infrastructure, creating the foundations for the country’s now-booming industry. Tourism revenues in Thailand are forecasted to register USD 63 bn by 2018’s end (watch, runtime: 2:50).