Singaporeans, Thais and Malaysians are South-east Asia's most well-travelled: Visa study

Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are the South-east Asian markets most hit by wanderlust, a study by digital payments provider Visa has found.

Singaporeans took an average of 6.62 international trips in the last two years - both business and leisure - while travellers from Thailand made 5.72 trips and Malaysians left the country 5.08 times.

The average for the Asia-Pacific was 2.7 trips, compared with a global average of 2.5 trips.

Holidaymakers and businesspeople from Singapore also topped the Asia-Pacific when it comes to their travel plans, with 6.58 international trips planned on average for the next two years. Travellers from Thailand, meanwhile, are eyeing 5.98 trips on average.

Thailand, billed the “Land of a Thousand Smiles”, has also been picked as a top-five destination in South-east Asia. It was visited by 36 per cent of Singaporean travellers over the last two years, as well as 18 per cent of regional travellers and 13 per cent of visitors worldwide. It drew a record 35.4 million visitors in 2017.

Around the region, Chinese travellers are also heavy jetsetters, making an average of 5.81 trips in the past two years and planning 6.21 trips in the next two.