Thailand welcomes 8.24 million short-haul tourists by mid-May
Thailand recorded more than 8.24 million short-haul tourist arrivals by mid-May, with China remaining the country’s largest inbound market
- Thailand received 8.24 million tourists from short-haul markets between January 1 and May 16, 2026.
- China was the largest source market, contributing 2.15 million visitors, followed by Malaysia, India, South Korea, and Taiwan.
- The influx of tourists was supported by holiday travel, targeted marketing campaigns, and the growing trend of "concert tourism" for K-pop and T-pop events.
- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) projects that total short-haul arrivals will reach approximately 21.87 million for the entire year.
Thailand has welcomed more than 8.24 million tourists from short-haul markets so far this year, with China continuing to dominate as the country’s largest inbound market and fastest-growing source of arrivals in the region, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The agency said East Asia remained the key engine driving regional tourism growth, while India, Taiwan, Myanmar and the Philippines also continued expanding steadily amid support from holiday travel, concert tourism and targeted marketing campaigns aimed at high-value travellers and special-interest groups.
Despite ongoing challenges from economic conditions and intensifying regional competition, Thailand still sees strong opportunities to attract higher-quality visitors through its “Value-driven Growth” strategy focused on increasing tourism revenue and strengthening long-term competitiveness.
China remains Thailand’s biggest tourism market
Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, deputy governor for international marketing for Asia and the South Pacific at TAT, said Thailand recorded a total of 8.24 million visitors from short-haul markets between January 1 and May 16, 2026.
Of the total, East Asia accounted for 3.73 million arrivals, while ASEAN, South Asia and the South Pacific combined contributed another 4.50 million visitors.
The five largest short-haul source markets for Thailand were:
- China — 2.15 million visitors
- Malaysia — 1.46 million visitors
- India — 941,331 visitors
- South Korea — 510,000 visitors
- Taiwan — 410,785 visitors
TAT said it would continue pushing travel campaigns during major holiday periods and peak tourism seasons to maintain momentum and generate more economic value for Thailand’s tourism sector.
The agency expects total arrivals from short-haul markets to reach around 21.87 million for the whole of 2026.
China posts strongest growth
China recorded the strongest growth among all short-haul markets, with 2,151,861 visitors travelling to Thailand during the period, up 18.79% year-on-year, an increase of more than 340,000 visitors from the previous year.
TAT said China remained the clearest driver of regional tourism expansion, supported by continued growth in flights and airline seat capacity into Thailand.
Taiwan also maintained positive momentum, with arrivals rising 3.68% to 410,785 visitors. TAT noted that Taiwan remained a strong market for free independent travellers (FITs) and repeat visitors.
Both China and Taiwan benefited from extended Lunar New Year holidays in February as well as a shift in travel demand away from Japan.
India also continued to expand as a major high-potential market, with arrivals climbing 8.80% to 941,331 visitors.
Myanmar posted one of the strongest growth rates, rising 24.47% to 291,913 visitors despite domestic economic and political challenges. Many travellers from Myanmar visited Thailand for medical treatment, education and business purposes, with TAT describing the segment as having strong purchasing power.
Meanwhile, arrivals from the Philippines rose 2.21% to 244,375 visitors, with Thailand remaining among the top 10 overseas destinations for Filipino travellers.
Concert tourism and marketing campaigns boost travel
TAT said growth was also supported by aggressive marketing campaigns targeting high-value and niche travel segments, including incentive travel, golf, wellness tourism and couples.
The agency has also continued promoting its “Thailand Summer Blast” overseas campaign, which supports charter flights and air connectivity alongside digital marketing efforts.
Concert tourism has emerged as another major growth driver, particularly among fans travelling to Thailand for K-pop and T-pop concerts, fan meetings and fan conventions.
The trend has been especially strong among visitors from ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China — markets known for large and high-spending fan communities.
Government support measures, including extended public holiday periods in major source markets such as China, have also helped stimulate outbound travel to Thailand.
TAT shifts strategy towards higher-value travellers
TAT expects the short-haul market to remain stable or post slight growth during the third quarter of 2026, supported by school holiday periods across ASEAN countries between May and August, as well as summer holidays in key markets, particularly China.
However, the agency warned that rising airfares could encourage travellers to choose destinations closer to home, intensifying competition among regional tourism destinations.
Against that backdrop, TAT believes the May-to-July period will be a critical window for Thailand to attract higher-quality travellers and capture airline capacity.
The agency said it was now shifting its tourism strategy away from “Volume Recovery” towards “Value-driven Growth”, focusing on travellers with stronger spending potential in order to maximise economic value, improve long-term competitiveness and support more sustainable tourism income distribution across the Thai economy.
