Thailand tourism slipped under 33 million foreign arrivals in 2025

Thailand’s tourism sector lost momentum in 2025 as revealed by the first official estimated numbers coming from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

The Kingdom recorded a sharp decline in foreign visitor arrivals weighed on overall revenue, despite steady growth in domestic travel, according to official data released on January 2, 2026. The decline is the biggest recorded by the country since COVID.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said total tourism revenue reached 2.7 trillion baht ($77 billion) in 2025, a decline of 1.26% from the previous year. The slowdown was driven largely by fewer international visitors, even as Thai residents traveled more frequently within the country.

A year of bad luck for Thai tourism

Foreign tourist arrivals fell 7.23% year on year to 32.97 million, while revenue from overseas visitors dropped 4.71% to about 1.54 trillion baht. The ministry said global economic uncertainty, uneven recovery in key markets, and lingering confidence issues affected inbound demand throughout the year. The country was also shadowed by the conflict with Cambodia, safety issues and a strong baht.

Meanwhile, what could have been a wonderful opportunity to project Thailand as a major sport country on a global scale turned also into a complete failure. The Southeast Asian Games in Thailand turned into a PR disaster due to a combination of poor planning, logistical failures, financial controversy, and reputational damage.

Many venues were half-empty, even for marquee events. Ticketing confusion, limited promotion, inconvenient locations, and public frustration with organization all contributed to the SEA Games failure. It unfortunately also proved the inability of Thailand to organize a large-scale international event.

Domestic tourism helped to stabilize Thailand tourism sector

Malaysia remained Thailand’s largest source market by arrivals, with 4.52 million visitors, though that figure fell nearly 9%. China ranked second at 4.47 million visitors, marking a steep 33.55% decline, reflecting a slower-than-expected recovery in outbound Chinese travel. India stood out as a bright spot, with arrivals rising 16.82% to 2.49 million, followed by Russia and South Korea.

In terms of tourism receipts, China continued to lead, generating nearly 250 billion baht, despite a 31.54% drop. Russia and India recorded strong growth in spending, while revenue from the United Kingdom rose more than 21%.

The ministry noted that several long-haul and emerging markets reached record visitor levels in 2025. This included Russia, the UK, Germany, and France. Officials credited the success to expanded flight capacity, and policies aimed at easing travel and improving safety perceptions.

Permanent Secretary Nutreeya Thaewong said the decline in overall arrivals and revenue was not alarming and emphasized growth in so-called “quality tourists,” who spend more per trip.

A ray of hope was however domestic tourism. It proved its resilience and even helped cushion the drop in international tourism for hotels and tour operators. Thais made 202.37 million trips in 2025, an increase of 2.7%, generating 1.17 trillion baht in revenue, up 3.69% from the previous year. Officials acknowledged the critical role of domestic travel in stabilizing the sector amid softer international demand.

Looking ahead, Thailand plans to focus in 2026 on higher-value tourism, wellness travel, and niche experiences, while reinforcing safety and confidence to support a more sustainable recovery. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand pins its hope to 36.7 million travelers, including over 6 million visitors from China PRC.

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