Thailand welcomes 16.21m foreign tourists as summer holidays lift arrivals
Thailand recorded 16.21 million foreign tourist arrivals from January 1 to July 4, generating 782.57 billion baht in revenue, with China, Malaysia and India leading the top source markets.
Thailand welcomed more than 16.21 million foreign tourists between January 1 and July 4, generating 782.57 billion baht in tourism revenue, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said on Monday (July 6).
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the latest assessment showed Thailand had received 16,210,890 international arrivals during the period, down 3.11% from the same period last year.
The ministry said the figures were still subject to further updates as it was awaiting data from the Immigration Bureau for part of the reporting period.
China remains Thailand’s top source market
China remained the largest source of foreign tourists to Thailand, with 2,654,728 arrivals, followed by Malaysia with 2,109,956, India with 1,239,023, Russia with 1,022,483 and South Korea with 596,673.
The figures underline the continued importance of Asian short-haul markets to Thailand’s tourism recovery, while long-haul visitors from Europe also remain an important source of spending and seasonal growth.
The ministry said foreign tourist spending had already generated 782.57 billion baht, reinforcing tourism’s role as a key driver of the Thai economy.
Summer holidays support weekly growth
For the week of June 28 to July 4, the tourism sector showed signs of expansion, supported by the start of the summer holiday season in several countries.
The increase was driven by both short-haul markets, including China and Hong Kong, and long-haul markets, including France, Germany and the Netherlands.
During the week, Thailand welcomed 533,697 foreign tourists.
Chinese tourists lead weekly arrivals
The top five source markets for the week were led by China, with 83,492 arrivals, followed by Malaysia with 78,306, India with 32,657, Taiwan with 20,625 and Austria with 20,498.
The ministry expects foreign arrivals to continue rising in the following week, supported by school holidays in China and the broader summer holiday period in Europe.
The outlook points to stronger travel momentum during July, as Thailand seeks to attract both regional travellers and long-haul visitors through its tourism campaigns, cultural attractions, hospitality sector and seasonal travel demand.
