Thailand experienced a significant uptick in foreign tourist arrivals during the week of April 6–12, 2026, with 619,481 international visitors, an 8.76% increase from the previous week. This surge was predominantly fueled by the Songkran holiday, which attracted approximately 400,000 tourists from short-haul markets, according to Natriya Thaweewong, Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports.

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Chinese tourists led the arrivals with 106,504 individuals, marking the highest weekly figure in five weeks. Malaysia followed with 90,524 visitors, while India, Russia, and the United States contributed 53,308, 36,701, and 24,693 visitors, respectively. Notably, Malaysian and Chinese arrivals increased by 61.68% and 25.39% compared to the previous week, highlighting the strong appeal of the Songkran festivities among these tourists.

However, a decline was observed in Russian tourists, whose numbers decreased by 11.57%. Despite this, the weekly average reached 88,498 foreign tourists per day. Since the start of the year up to April 13, Thailand has welcomed a total of 10,363,660 foreign visitors, generating tourism revenue of approximately 506.12 billion baht.

Looking forward, Thailand continues to focus on attracting tourists from its top source markets. Year-to-date data shows China remains at the forefront with 1,659,777 visitors, followed by Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea. The increasing influx of tourists is expected to bolster Thailand’s economic recovery through sustained tourism revenue.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Khaosod · 14 Apr 2026

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I thought in Bangkok there was no alcohol allowed till 10 pm... TAT however is making things up it seems... it is risen but also declined.. I suppose it are only bookings that were made before the ticket prices rose. The impact of the Iranian War will be felt I think from June on...

16 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

I thought in Bangkok there was no alcohol allowed till 10 pm

Huh? Bangkok is a total zoo with completely drunk falang (and Chinese, and Indian) idiots barely standing up for the last two days - and I've only been out late night 3am+. I can't and don't want to imagine how terrible it is before 10pm. Truly the worst time of the year thanks to "quality tourists".

We went to the IconSiam "waterfight" and it was a huge amount of fun. Lots of tourists and Thais. The Thai-only areas also seem to be a good time - water guns, hitler mustaches, talc powder. Harmless and I think Anutin is smart if he promotes this.

Songkran is one of those unique Social Media friendly events that is also genuinely fun.

18 minutes ago, davb said:

We went to the IconSiam "waterfight" and it was a huge amount of fun. Lots of tourists and Thais. The Thai-only areas also seem to be a good time - water guns, hitler mustaches, talc powder. Harmless and I think Anutin is smart if he promotes this.

Songkran is one of those unique Social Media friendly events that is also genuinely fun.

Can see why the guy on the right is smiling.

33 minutes ago, davb said:

Lots of tourists and Thais. The Thai-only areas also seem to be a good time - water guns, hitler mustaches

Yeah, Hitler moustaches are good fun for NAZI's, isn't it Dave?

How do the figures compare to last year, which was down from the previous year?