Thailand is aiming to welcome more than 33.2 million foreign tourists by the end of 2026 as it shifts its focus towards attracting higher-value visitors rather than simply increasing arrival numbers.

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The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is pursuing a “Value over Volume” strategy designed to position Thailand as a “Quality Destination”, placing greater emphasis on tourism revenue, service standards, safety and sustainability. Officials believe the approach will strengthen the sector despite continued global economic uncertainty and intense international competition.

Between January and May 2026, Thailand recorded 14.03 million foreign tourist arrivals. Although slightly below the figures for the same period in previous years, the country has maintained more than 14 million visitors during the first five months for the third consecutive year, with 14.76 million recorded in 2024, 14.36 million in 2025 and 14.03 million in 2026.

Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Natthriya Thaweevong said the figures demonstrate continued confidence among international travellers and reinforce Thailand’s position as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.

She said the government’s strategy is intended to generate greater economic value, spread tourism income to local communities, improve service standards, enhance safety and promote sustainable tourism across the country.

Thailand’s quality tourism ambitions have also received international recognition. Koh Samui was recently named “Best Island 2026” in the Asia-Pacific region at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2026, based on votes from readers of the global travel magazine.

The ministry regards Koh Samui as a model for developing premium tourism experiences while protecting natural resources, preserving local communities and maintaining high service standards. Alongside Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, the island remains one of Thailand’s leading destinations for overseas visitors.

From the beginning of the year until Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Koh Samui welcomed more than 1,006,112 foreign tourists, generating more than THB25,531.85 million in revenue. The island proved especially popular with visitors from Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, France and China.

Natthriya said Thailand’s success should not be measured solely by visitor numbers but by the quality of tourists, the revenue they generate and the benefits delivered to businesses and communities nationwide.

The Nation reported that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports will work with public and private sector partners during the second half of 2026 to stage more international events, festivals and activities. It will also promote health tourism, sports tourism, community-based tourism and cultural tourism to create higher-value visitor experiences and improve Thailand’s competitiveness.

Supported by these initiatives, the ministry remains confident Thailand will exceed 33.2 million foreign tourist arrivals by the end of 2026, generating significant economic revenue while supporting balanced, high-quality and sustainable long-term growth.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 27 June 2026

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12 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is pursuing a “Value over Volume” strategy designed to position Thailand as a “Quality Destination”, placing greater emphasis on tourism revenue, service standards, safety and sustainability. Officials believe the approach will strengthen the sector despite continued global economic uncertainty and intense international competition.

Safety? Thailand can start by making sidewalks and street crossings safe.

Think I'll stick to Leo !

4 hours ago, TedG said:

Safety? Thailand can start by making sidewalks and street crossings safe.

They could start by installing sidewalks/pavements in many parts of Thailand would help,

4 hours ago, TedG said:

Safety? Thailand can start by making sidewalks and street crossings safe.

Impossible to cross the road where I live,

Not going to happen, gone are the good days where Thailand was an easy place just come in and have unbridled and unrestricted cheap fun in this country, the government manage to really screw things up and left a bitter taste in many would be tourists mouths while better places are being discovered everyday, right now,Thailand not doing anything special to entice people to come visit.

Here we go again... same old story.

44 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Not going to happen, gone are the good days where Thailand was an easy place just come in and have unbridled and unrestricted cheap fun in this country, the government manage to really screw things up and left a bitter taste in many would be tourists mouths while better places are being discovered everyday, right now,Thailand not doing anything special to entice people to come visit.

Hemorrhaging tourists over to Vietnam

5 hours ago, TedG said:

Safety? Thailand can start by making sidewalks and street crossings safe.

I agree, many new foot bridges required for safety, best way to go

The sweet spot for Thailand is the western working middle class and upper working middle class. Thailand remains "exotic" has a positive public image overall. additional attraction to attract western working middle class retirees who cannot afford a working middle class retirement in their own country. This is especially true of Americans who, alone in the democratic, developed capitalist countries does not provide a national healthcare program ... yet another American market = medical tourism. I agree, it is exactly this market in competition with Vietnam. Ironically, the past US - Vietnam relationship provides additional curiosity to visa ... whether having been in Vietnam previously or retired "boomers" familiar with the war debacle.

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Biggest money earners for Thailand were those investors in kind of industry, hotels, entertainment, tourism, property

building selling and renting, now some smart smart aleck in the governments seen that foreigners are over active

brunching everywhere making a lot of money, and I mean a lot of money ' and someone up there got up and says: hey,

wait a minuet, what about us? they are taking over and not leaving much for our own people to get in ( as if they got the money) so they come up with the nominee rule that they dug up from some old law books,

and so the blitz began, now ten of thousand of foreigners who invested in Thailand are going to lose it all if not most of

it and get foul with the law and now being labeled as criminals.

what is going to happen to the properties in question, or the Thai nominees? that is still to be seen.

Little Hong Kong has already processed over 40 million tourists and the Tourist Authority estimates around 54 million for all of 2026.

Everything works there.

The place is clean, tidy and well maintained.

Sidewalks are level and safe.

Crosswalks are 95%+ controlled by lights, coordinated with traffic flow.

It's POLICED properly, on the roads and off road.

Their presence is everywhere....and they are polite, helpful and multilingual...spoken and written.

(Your 15yo daughter and friends can walk around in total safety at 1am, any day)

Nearly everyone speaks English!

Signs (mostly) are in Chinese and English.

Young ladies are fit (they walk everywhere, not a motorcycle taxi anywhere), confident and very smart and sexy....short pleated miniskirts, G-strings, low cut blouses and dresses......very rarely seen in the average, modest ladies here.

Of course, Mainlanders are the majority of the tourists, and they spend big bucks!

Sorry, got a bit off topic there!!

Buy just a comparison of a tiny island and a very much larger TH.

9 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

Sorry, got a bit off topic there!!

No, please, do carry on...............!

Why not target 60 million or 100 million? It's just words.

Seeing how business is right now here in Phuket, they need to pull their fingers out, because it's dead here in Phuket, don't know about the rest of the country,

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Seeing how business is right now here in Phuket, they need to pull their fingers out, because it's dead here in Phuket, don't know about the rest of the country,

Thailand is dead. It’s called Low Season 🤷🏼

You don't have to be an Economist to see where Thailand is struggleing for numbers. They can't or won't accept high class big spenders Do they think they will bring the family's to Pattaya or Phuket when they see Russians and Indians running amok and changing there community's. A high end tourist arriving for a 30 day visit come on. The next few day's we will see A minister popping up moaning about the lack of tourists and forcasting a bleak future blaming Covid and the border Problem with Cambodia.

From what I am seeing. They haven't got a chance. The place is like a ghost town. I was in and out of Suvarnabhumi in 35 mins last week. Never seen it so quiet

Then there are the train crashes, the bus crashes, buses bursting into flames, low life attracted by cannabis, Russian sanction busting and best pals with Putin. Of course non of that is taken in by would be tourists. I forgot the abysmal building standards. The next time there is a slight rumble is the hotel going to fall down.

What concerns me is the fact that the push for "higher quality" (big spenders) is going to have a negative impact on the low end of the market. I have stayed in a guesthouse and a budget hotel. They were clean, comfortable and safe, but they were not shiny new highrise hotels. I ate at ordinary restaurants such as Cheap Charlies, Nikki's, Hungry Hippo and other similar places. The food was always good and very affordable. I went to ordinary small bars, not the fancy rooftop bars.

My budget is 100,000 baht per month, but Thailand doesn't seem to want people like me.

What happened to the visa rule change?

As usual nothing

1 hour ago, technoronin said:

What concerns me is the fact that the push for "higher quality" (big spenders) is going to have a negative impact on the low end of the market. I have stayed in a guesthouse and a budget hotel. They were clean, comfortable and safe, but they were not shiny new highrise hotels. I ate at ordinary restaurants such as Cheap Charlies, Nikki's, Hungry Hippo and other similar places. The food was always good and very affordable. I went to ordinary small bars, not the fancy rooftop bars.

My budget is 100,000 baht per month, but Thailand doesn't seem to want people like me.

Thailand can push for and expect "higher quality" spenders but then quality tourists expect a quality experience. Is Thailand actually giving a quality experience?

21 hours ago, baansgr said:

I agree, many new foot bridges required for safety, best way to go

Yes, although I talked of this with a Bangkok friend and generally many say 'I am not climbing all the way up there in this heat!'.

19 hours ago, orchidfan said:

Little Hong Kong has already processed over 40 million tourists and the Tourist Authority estimates around 54 million for all of 2026.

Everything works there.

The place is clean, tidy and well maintained.

Sidewalks are level and safe.

Crosswalks are 95%+ controlled by lights, coordinated with traffic flow.

It's POLICED properly, on the roads and off road.

Their presence is everywhere....and they are polite, helpful and multilingual...spoken and written.

(Your 15yo daughter and friends can walk around in total safety at 1am, any day)

Nearly everyone speaks English!

Signs (mostly) are in Chinese and English.

Young ladies are fit (they walk everywhere, not a motorcycle taxi anywhere), confident and very smart and sexy....short pleated miniskirts, G-strings, low cut blouses and dresses......very rarely seen in the average, modest ladies here.

Of course, Mainlanders are the majority of the tourists, and they spend big bucks!

Sorry, got a bit off topic there!!

Buy just a comparison of a tiny island and a very much larger TH.

But they are super rude. Desplicable behaviours. And not smiley at all. All transactional too.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, although I talked of this with a Bangkok friend and generally many say 'I am not climbing all the way up there in this heat!'.

Well their fault if they get hurt cos they can't be bothered,the walkways are mostly covered, and should be fined for Jay walking also

9 hours ago, technoronin said:

What concerns me is the fact that the push for "higher quality" (big spenders) is going to have a negative impact on the low end of the market. I have stayed in a guesthouse and a budget hotel. They were clean, comfortable and safe, but they were not shiny new highrise hotels. I ate at ordinary restaurants such as Cheap Charlies, Nikki's, Hungry Hippo and other similar places. The food was always good and very affordable. I went to ordinary small bars, not the fancy rooftop bars.

My budget is 100,000 baht per month, but Thailand doesn't seem to want people like me.

Relax. This is just classic CYA. This is just taking a big negative--falling tourist numbers--and trying to turn it into some sort of a positive. So they come up with the lame, "We don't want quantity, we want quality."

Total CYA. They want quantity, of course they want quantity. Thailand is a huge, quantity tourist market, with quantity rooms to try to fill every night. And, of course, those rooms range from cheap hostel rooms to rooms in expensive 5-star resorts.

If you were here in 2019, there was plenty of crowing from the tourist bigwigs when the tourist numbers hit the quantity, not quality, number of nearly 40 million. Come December, if the numbers are down, it's a 'win' because they will say they were going for quality, not quantity. If the numbers are up, another win, as they will say they got both quality and quantity. Win-win, a** covered.

An off topic post with misquoted content has been removed.

21 hours ago, baansgr said:

Well their fault if they get hurt cos they can't be bothered,the walkways are mostly covered, and should be fined for Jay walking also

For elderly and disabled, they are of no use! The walkways often have a poor attempt at shade.. and the heat comes from all directions. I often find the size of the steps awkward.

I,am sure it will happen and a visa change again towards the start of the high season should happen