TAT Eyes Higher Tourism Forecast for Thailand

TAT has no idea - "random" numbers used in TAT's daily press releases which TAT uses to justify its existence.

Tat have got their calculator out again to please the government with the sticky baht and vietnam charging ahead their dreaming

Here we go again... Same old Buffalo <deleted>e from TAT. Do they actually go out and look themselves? Deduct the business travelers from the pure tourists.

Asia-Pacific arrivals increased 4.53% to 1,818,479.

So the only increase is likely to be Malaysians etc hopping over the border for a bit of shopping and possibly a few more Chinese.

Phuket numbers visibly lower and the almost incessant rain likely to deter repeat for the same time next year.

If they are truly targeting quality tourists and dropping the low end mass market segment, they should not be cheering increased numbers of tourists. Lower tourist numbers and higher spending should be the focus.

In reality, I think they’ll take whoever they can get and trumpet higher tourist arrivals as a win.

Just as they proclaimed that they were going to seek higher quality tourists and stop obsessing over the numbers here we go again with the numerical drivel. There are simply too many factors at play right now in the world economy, with the war still going on and fuel prices at crazy levels.

It's truly impossible to predict the numbers for the rest of the year, yet these fools continue to try.

14 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Thailand’s tourism outlook is showing signs of improvement, prompting the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to consider revising its 2026 foreign tourist target after the impact of the Middle East conflict proved less severe than initially expected.

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TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the agency’s earlier downside scenario, which projected 30-32 million foreign arrivals this year if the conflict continued for three months, may have been overly cautious. Recent data indicates stronger-than-expected performance in long-haul markets, particularly from the Middle East, where arrivals were forecast to fall by around 40% but declined by less than 30% during the first five months of the year.

Further positive signals emerged ahead of Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2026 (TTM+ 2026), which will take place from 10-12 June at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Chonburi. Buyers from the Middle East are expected to attend the event to negotiate tourism agreements, with strong interest in health and wellness products, new campaigns and future marketing initiatives once regional conditions improve.

TAT is also seeking to attract Middle Eastern airlines to establish routes to Thai aviation hubs, including U-Tapao Airport, in preparation for future demand growth.

Thapanee said TAT may revise its forecast again. The agency had previously expected foreign arrivals in 2026 to decline by 5-10%, but now believes the reduction will be clearly below 5%. The revised estimate could see arrivals fall by only 1-2%, or potentially avoid a contraction altogether, compared with the 32.97 million foreign visitors recorded in 2025.

She said the decline now appeared far smaller than previously feared and could improve further. TAT will continue monitoring developments before discussing any revised targets with the tourism and sports minister and the TAT board.

The agency is also focusing on increasing spending per visitor. While a new revenue target has not yet been finalised, Thapanee said it would not be lower than last year’s level.

Visa policy remains a challenge in several markets, particularly India. The Cabinet approved in principle on 19 May the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free measure for tourists from 93 countries and territories, returning to previous visa-free arrangements for each country. Although the change has not yet taken effect, Thapanee said discussions with relevant agencies would be needed to maintain growth from the Indian market, including MICE travellers and wedding groups.

She said Thailand should focus less on overall arrival numbers and comparisons with competitors, and instead prioritise attracting more long-haul travellers and generating higher tourism revenue.

Tourism and Sports Ministry data showed Thailand welcomed 14,032,649 foreign tourists between 1 January and 31 May, down 2.3% year-on-year. Visitor spending generated approximately 679.274 billion baht, down 2.48%.

Regional figures showed Middle East arrivals, excluding Iran and Israel, reached 150,779 during the first five months, down 24.83%. Europe recorded 3,965,179 arrivals, up 0.26%, while the Americas posted 704,789 arrivals, up 0.31%. Asia-Pacific arrivals totalled 9,146,708, down 3.08%.

The Nation reported that in May alone, Thailand welcomed 2,346,845 foreign tourists, an increase of 3.54% compared with the same month last year. Middle East arrivals stood at 47,726, down 1.9%, while Europe recorded 365,345 visitors, down 0.35%. Arrivals from the Americas rose 3.56% to 102,389, while Asia-Pacific arrivals increased 4.53% to 1,818,479.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 6 June 2026

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TAT BS at it’s best. Wait a couple of months and they will be crying saying tourist numbers down again. 😤

On 6/6/2026 at 8:39 AM, wensiensheng said:

If they are truly targeting quality tourists and dropping the low end mass market segment, they should not be cheering increased numbers of tourists. Lower tourist numbers and higher spending should be the focus.

In reality, I think they’ll take whoever they can get and trumpet higher tourist arrivals as a win.

All a bit irrelevant.

At the end of the day any change in numbers will be determined by fuel price.

18 hours ago, Reddavy said:

TAT BS at it’s best. Wait a couple of months and they will be crying saying tourist numbers down again. 😤

No Reddavy they will roll out the old Covid excuse and drop in Chinese visitors card.