Thailand tourism yet to recover despite 15 million foreign visitors

Thailand’s tourism recovery has yet to fully rebound despite welcoming more than 15 million foreign visitors this year, with international arrivals still falling short of last year’s levels, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Between January 1 and June 20, 2026, Thailand welcomed 15,447,571 foreign tourists, generating more than 745.39 billion baht in visitor spending, although arrivals were down 2.78% from the same period in 2025.

Data released by the ministry’s Economics Tourism and Sports Division showed China remained Thailand’s largest source market with 2,538,498 visitors, followed by Malaysia with 1,992,324, India with 1,188,190, Russia with 996,840 and South Korea with 576,404.

Despite the slower year-on-year performance, foreign arrivals increased during the week of June 14 to 20. Thailand welcomed 508,133 international visitors during the seven-day period, up 21,464 people, or 4.41%, from the previous week, averaging 72,590 arrivals per day.

The ministry said the weekly increase was supported by the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. China remained the largest source market for the week with 83,796 visitors, while arrivals from Malaysia also increased due to a midweek public holiday.

Taiwan arrivals rose 18.23%, moving the market into fifth place among weekly arrivals. TravelNews reported that overall, short-haul markets grew 3.37% from the previous week, while long-haul markets increased 7.40%.

However, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects foreign arrivals to slow in the coming week as holiday travel in several source markets comes to an end. The Indian market also continues to face challenges due to fewer flights.

Although China and Malaysia remain key drivers of Thailand’s tourism industry, the ministry said the sector has yet to recover to last year’s level during the same period. It added that Thailand still needs to attract more foreign visitors during the second half of the year to support the tourism sector’s recovery.

In similar news, AirAsia founder and CEO Tony Fernandes has opposed Airports of Thailand’s (AOT) proposed increase to the international passenger service charge, warning that higher airport fees could damage Thailand’s tourism industry.