Thailand welcomes 13.4m foreign tourists as weekly arrivals rise 10.95%

Thailand records 13.4m foreign tourist arrivals, generating THB654bn

Thailand welcomed 13,428,857 foreign tourists from January 1 to May 24, 2026, down 2.78%, generating an estimated THB653.986 billion in tourism spending, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said preliminary figures showed that more than 13.4 million international visitors had travelled to Thailand during the period, with China remaining the largest source market, followed by Malaysia and India.

China remains top source market

The top five sources of foreign tourists visiting Thailand from January 1 to May 24 were:

• China: 2,237,215 tourists
• Malaysia: 1,552,217 tourists
• India: 1,003,993 tourists
• Russia: 928,774 tourists
• South Korea: 525,550 tourists

Weekly arrivals rebound on holiday travel

For the week of May 18-24, 2026, foreign tourist arrivals showed signs of recovery, supported by long holiday periods in several markets, including the United States, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The ministry said Thailand received 520,536 foreign tourists during the week, up 51,363 visitors, or 10.95%, from the previous week. This represented an average of 74,362 foreign arrivals per day.

Malaysia leads weekly arrivals

The top five foreign tourist groups during the week were:

• Malaysia: 92,275 tourists, up 32.87% from the previous week
• China: 85,317 tourists, down 1.25% from the previous week
• India: 55,033 tourists, up 10.07% from the previous week
• Taiwan: 17,318 tourists, up 8.08% from the previous week
• United States: 16,937 tourists, up 7.46% from the previous week

Indian arrivals pass 1m mark

The ministry said the Indian market had reached an important milestone, with cumulative arrivals exceeding 1 million tourists during the week.

School holidays in Malaysia and India also helped stimulate family travel to Thailand, contributing to the rise in visitor numbers during the period.

British Airways flights support UK market

The recovery was also supported by British Airways’ increased direct flights to Thailand through the summer season, allowing the airline to maintain year-round operations instead of suspending services during the middle of the year as in the past.

The ministry said the additional connectivity helped encourage more travellers from the British and wider UK markets to visit Thailand.

Ministry expects arrivals to keep rising

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects foreign tourist arrivals to increase further in the following week, supported by several travel factors.

These include the Islamic long holiday for Eid al-Adha in several regions, including the Middle East and Asia, as well as Thailand’s energy situation returning to normal, with prices adjusted in line with global market conditions.

The ministry also cited the Trusted Thailand campaign, which is aimed at strengthening the country’s image as a safe destination for international travellers.