Thailand has welcomed 8.54 million foreign tourists from January 1 to March 22, 2026, generating approximately 417.216 billion baht in revenue. However, the total arrivals reflect a 2.97% decrease compared to the same period last year. Despite the decline, short-haul markets have shown significant improvement, enhancing inbound tourism numbers recently.
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The Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported cumulative foreign arrivals at 8,544,484, with China as the top source of tourists at 1,377,750 visitors. Malaysia follows with 854,438 visitors, Russia with 668,479, India with 566,337, and South Korea with 391,040. Natreeya Taweewong, the permanent secretary for tourism, highlighted that visitor numbers have exceeded 8.5 million this year.
In the past week, arrivals increased by 7.47% with 675,407 visitors, averaging 96,487 daily. The rise is driven by post-Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr travels among Muslim tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East. Malaysia notably became the largest source market for the week with 107,485 visitors, up by 73.85% from the previous week.
The Ministry attributes some of the visitor increase to government initiatives aimed at stimulating the Chinese market and efforts to bolster Thailand’s safety reputation through the Trusted Thailand campaign. These measures, alongside eased travel policies such as waiving the TM.6 immigration form requirement, are designed to support sustained travel demand.
Moving forward, while some major markets show weekly declines, the government anticipates a slight easing in arrivals. Yet, catalytic factors, including increased airline frequencies and a strengthened safety image, are expected to sustain the travel sector. The tourism industry continues to grapple with annual pressure, but regional short-haul demand remains a vital support, reported The Nation.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Nation · 24 Mar 2026