Songkran lifts Thailand tourism as short-haul arrivals rebound

Thailand welcomed 10,363,660 foreign tourists between January 1 and April 12, 2026, generating around 506.123 billion baht in revenue, as the Songkran holiday delivered a timely lift to the sector through a sharp rebound in short-haul arrivals led by China and Malaysia.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports said cumulative foreign arrivals during the period were down 2.65% year on year, but the latest weekly data pointed to renewed momentum as Songkran travel gathered pace.

Thailand tops 10.36 million foreign arrivals

According to the ministry’s latest update, the top five source markets for foreign arrivals to Thailand so far this year were:

• China: 1,659,777
• Malaysia: 1,093,636
• Russia: 792,629
• India: 712,913
• South Korea: 439,277

Natthriya Thaweevong, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said preliminary figures showed that cumulative foreign arrivals had already exceeded 10.3 million by April 12.

Songkran drives sharp rise in short-haul markets

During the week of April 6-12, foreign arrivals rose to 619,481, up 49,888 or 8.76% from the previous week, equivalent to an average of 88,498 visitors a day.

The strongest growth came from short-haul markets, where arrivals climbed to around 400,000, an increase of 18.32% week on week, helped by Songkran travel demand.

China hits five-week high as Malaysia surges

China remained Thailand’s biggest source market for the week, with 106,504 visitors, up 25.39% from the previous week and marking its highest level in five weeks.

Malaysia followed with 90,524 visitors, surging 61.68% week on week.

The other leading markets for the week were:

• India: 53,308 visitors, up 16.93%
• Russia: 36,701 visitors, down 11.57%
• United States: 24,693 visitors, up 19.26%

The ministry said the strong inflow from China and Malaysia underlined the importance of nearby markets in supporting Thailand’s tourism performance during major holiday periods.

Officials expect arrivals to hold steady next week

For the coming week, the ministry expects foreign arrivals to remain broadly stable, with several supporting factors still in place.

These include:

• Thailand’s energy situation returning to normal
• the Trusted Thailand safety-image campaign
• government Ease of traveling measures
• the continued suspension of the TM6 arrival card
• efforts to encourage airlines to increase flight frequencies

The ministry said these measures should continue to support inbound tourism and help sustain travel momentum after the Songkran holiday peak.