War hits travel — Thailand arrivals fall in first four months

Thailand recorded 11.68 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first four months of 2026, as the impact of the war dragged visitor numbers down by 3.39% year on year.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that from January 1 to April 30, 2026, Thailand welcomed a total of 11,685,804 foreign tourists, generating 571.27 billion baht in revenue. Revenue from foreign visitors fell 3.21% from the same period last year.

By region, visitors from the Middle East, excluding Israel and Iran, totalled 103,053, down 32.17%. European arrivals stood at 3,599,834, up slightly by 0.32%. Asia-Pacific visitors totalled 7,328,229, down 4.80%, while arrivals from the Americas reached 602,400, down 0.23%.

Top 10 foreign arrival markets in the first four months of 2026

1. China — 1,907,004 visitors, up 15.67%
2. Malaysia — 1,268,965 visitors, down 16.30%
3. Russia — 863,550 visitors, down 1.59%
4. India — 832,239 visitors, up 10.96%
5. South Korea — 475,922 visitors, down 18.28%
6. United Kingdom — 438,586 visitors, down 1.52%
7. Germany — 405,208 visitors, down 4.45%
8. United States — 400,244 visitors, down 0.22%
9. France — 378,566 visitors, down 0.97%
10. Taiwan — 373,501 visitors, up 1.89%

For April 2026 alone, the second month after fighting broke out on February 28, Thailand received 2,368,895 foreign tourists, down 7% from the same month last year.

Middle East arrivals in April totalled 21,707, plunging 57.07%. European arrivals fell 15.79% to 549,123, while Asia-Pacific arrivals dropped 2.47% to 1,664,779. Visitors from the Americas declined 1.79% to 117,349.

Top 10 foreign arrival markets in April 2026

1. China — 418,291 visitors, up 31.86%
2. Malaysia — 309,942 visitors, down 14.53%
3. India — 206,641 visitors, up 0.17%
4. Russia — 137,592 visitors, down 11.41%
5. United Kingdom — 85,059 visitors, down 22.84%
6. United States — 80,173 visitors, down 0.41%
7. Taiwan — 77,873 visitors, up 11.99%
8. Australia — 73,141 visitors, down 2.57%
9. France — 73,118 visitors, up 8.9%
10. Myanmar — 67,229 visitors, up 15.28%