Foreign arrivals surpass 26 million mark with Malaysians topping the chart
Thailand welcomes over 26 million foreign tourists this year, led by Malaysians and Chinese, as Russian arrivals rise sharply during the high season.
The number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand has surpassed the 26-million mark this month, with Malaysians topping the list, the Tourism and Sports Ministry announced on Tuesday.
Natreeya Taweewong, permanent secretary for the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said that from January 1 to October 26, the number of foreign arrivals reached 26,245,277, representing a 7.25% drop compared to the same period last year.
She said foreign visitors had spent an estimated 1.211 trillion baht in Thailand so far this year.
Top five source markets
According to ministry data, the top five countries with the highest number of tourists visiting Thailand this year were:
- Malaysia: 3,804,766 tourists
- China: 3,723,070 tourists
- India: 1,946,989 tourists
- Russia: 1,387,594 tourists
- South Korea: 1,256,786 tourists
Weekly increase led by Russian arrivals
Between October 20 and 26, Thailand welcomed 592,196 foreign tourists, marking a 6.37% increase from the previous week. The country saw an average of 84,599 foreign arrivals per day during that period.
Natreeya attributed the rise to the high-season demand from long-haul markets, particularly Russia, where arrivals surged by 31% week-on-week.
She added that two major concerts — Blackpink World Tour in Bangkok and Crazy in Love Zeenunew Concert — also boosted arrivals from short-haul markets, especially among Chinese fans.
Top five markets for the week
The top five countries with the most visitors to Thailand during the week of October 20–26 were:
- Malaysia: 90,855 tourists
- China: 74,421 tourists
- India: 54,877 tourists
- Russia: 38,749 tourists
- South Korea: 25,307 tourists
