Big events to boost Thailand tourism in final quarter, targeting 12 million foreign visitors

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set its sights on attracting 12 million foreign tourists to the country during the final four months of 2025, a 7% decrease from the same period last year. The focus is on increasing tourist spending to generate approximately 580 billion baht, a 3% drop from the previous year.

Nat Kruthasoot, Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, stated that the high season will be driven by major events designed to stimulate travel. The season kicks off with the “Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2025,” celebrating the cultural ties between Thailand and India throughout October. Key activities will take place at Khlong Ong Ang (October 16-20) and the Phahurat area (October 18-20), featuring Bollywood-style parades, Thai-Indian cultural performances by renowned artists, and illuminated landmarks. The festival is expected to attract at least 100,000 visitors and generate over 200 million baht in revenue, further strengthening the Indian tourism market, which has already seen over 1.8 million Indian visitors from January 1 to September 30, 2025.

In November, the “Maha Loy Krathong World Event 2025” aims to elevate Thailand’s Loy Krathong Festival into a global event. Activities will be held in two locations: Sukhothai (October 27 – November 5) and Ayutthaya (November 1-5), with an expected attendance of 450,000 participants and a revenue turnover of around 800 million baht. “We want to transform the Maha Loy Krathong into an intellectual property (IP) of Thailand, following the success of our Maha Songkran brand from two years ago,” Nat added.

Other highlights include “Vijit Chao Phraya 2025,” a spectacular light, sound, and visual show along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Extended this year from 30 to 45 days (November 1 – December 15), the event is expected to draw at least 1.5 million visitors and generate over 500 million baht in economic activity.

The “Amazing Thailand Marathon 2025,” an international marathon promoting tourism, will be held on 30 November at Phayathai Road in front of MBK Centre and Sanam Luang, Bangkok. Expected participants include 28,000 Thais and 8,000 international visitors, generating a total economic impact of at least 894 million baht.

Another major highlight is the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2025,” designed to reinforce Thailand as a global countdown destination. The TAT has allocated a total budget of around 25 million baht for organising and supporting events across the country. TAT will directly host the countdown in two locations, Chiang Mai and Phayao, expecting around 150,000 attendees. Additionally, TAT is supporting countdown events at multiple other venues nationwide, such as ICONSIAM, CentralWorld, One Bangkok, and others in Bangkok, where the private sector already has strong event management capabilities. This year, TAT will not hold an event at Wat Arun to avoid competing for attendees with other events.

Looking ahead to next year, TAT plans to host “Maha Songkran 2026” at Sanam Luang, Bangkok, continuing the branding momentum established in previous years, which has been well received by international tourists. The expected budget is approximately 100 million baht, similar to last year, aiming to develop Thailand’s IP into a world-class event. The goal is to attract tourists and boost economic circulation by 5-10% based on the 1.1 million attendees this year, which generated over 4 billion baht in economic turnover.

Nat stated that for the full year of 2025, total tourism revenue is forecast at 2.66 trillion baht, with international market revenue of 1.51 trillion baht, down 5% from last year, and international tourist arrivals of 33.4 million, down 6%. Domestic market revenue is projected at 1.15 trillion baht, up 2%, with 204.57 million domestic tourist visits, also up 2%.

For 2026, total tourism revenue is projected to rise to 2.79 trillion baht, an increase of 5% over this year. Revenue from the international market is expected to reach 1.63 trillion baht, up 8%, with 34.9 million international tourists, up 4%. Domestic revenue is forecast at 1.16 trillion baht, up 1%, with 210.43 million domestic tourist visits, up 3%.