Thailand sees its first annual drop in tourists in a decade. Here is why
Malaysians topped the list of foreign visitors with 4.5 million people, followed by 4.47 million Chinese tourists and 2.5 million holidaymakers from India.
Thailand, famed for its beaches and relaxing vibes, saw its first decline in tourist arrivals in years in 2025, as holidaymakers’ confidence was rattled by a series of events that rocked the nation.
The number of arrivals fell to 33 million last year, marking a 7.2% year-on-year decline in what was also the first annual drop in international arrivals in a decade outside the pandemic period.
The year started badly, with many Chinese travelers scrapping plans to visit after actor Wang Xing was abducted from Thailand and later rescued from a scam center in neighboring Myanmar. Thailand was then rocked by Myanmar’s biggest earthquake in a century, a bloody border conflict with Cambodia, severe flooding in the south, and a political crisis that brought a new government to power.
Malaysians topped the list of foreign visitors with 4.5 million people, followed by 4.47 million Chinese tourists and 2.5 million holidaymakers from India, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports data released Thursday. Russian travelers ranked fourth at 1.9 million followed by South Koreans at 1.6 million, according to ministry data.
Tourism revenue generated by foreign visitors totaled 1.5 trillion baht ($47.6 billion) last year, down 4.7% year on year, the ministry data show. Total tourism revenue coming from visitors and domestic travelers was registered at 2.7 trillion baht, down 1.3% year on year.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand aims to welcome 36.7 million foreign tourists in 2026, with visitors from short-haul markets anticipated to make up more than 70% of international arrivals, The Nation reported, citing Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool. Chinese holidaymakers are projected to total 6.7 million, matching the 2024 arrivals number, Thapanee said, according to the news report.
