Thailand’s weekly tourist arrivals rise 18.15% but year-to-date gap remains
Thailand’s weekly foreign arrivals rose 18.15% to 636,432, but the year-to-date total of 26.1 million was 4.71% lower than a year earlier.
- Thailand's tourist arrivals grew by 18.15% in the first week of November compared to the previous week, driven by the Deepavali holiday and the start of the winter season.
- Despite this weekly increase, the total number of tourists from the start of the year to November 7 remains 4.71% below the same period in 2025.
- The weekly surge was led by short-haul markets, with Malaysia being the top source of visitors, followed by China and Russia.
- China remains the largest source market for the year-to-date, accounting for over 4.3 million arrivals, followed by Malaysia and India.
Thailand’s foreign tourist arrivals increased by 18.15% in the first week of November compared with the previous week, but the year-to-date total remained 4.71% below the corresponding period in 2025.
Preliminary figures released by Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul on 9 November 2026 showed that Thailand welcomed 636,432 international visitors from 1–7 November, an increase of 97,771 from the previous week. Daily arrivals averaged 90,919.
China leads year-to-date arrivals
Thailand received 26,100,738 foreign tourists between 1 January and 7 November, generating 1,272.415 billion baht in visitor spending.
China was the largest source market over the period, accounting for 4,319,986 arrivals, followed by Malaysia with 3,306,177 and India with 1,961,233. Russia ranked fourth with 1,462,925 visitors, ahead of South Korea with 953,491.
Deepavali supports short-haul growth
Arrivals from short-haul markets reached 361,720 in the first week of November, up 16.12% from the previous week.
The Deepavali holiday helped lift visitor numbers from Malaysia by 28.87% and Singapore by 10.74%.
Arrivals from India, however, fell 9.95% week on week, as some travellers spent the festival with their families before travelling the following week.
Malaysia was the largest source market for the week, with 79,693 visitors, followed by China with 75,610 and Russia with 48,584. The figures represented year-on-year increases of 28.87%, 46.88% and 9.18%, respectively.
India ranked fourth with 36,816 visitors, down 9.95% from the previous week. The United States completed the top five with 28,234 arrivals, up 32.80% from the same period last year.
Winter season lifts long-haul arrivals
Long-haul arrivals rose 20.94% from the previous week to 274,712, reflecting increased travel as the winter season approached.
Despite that weekly increase, arrivals from the American market were 19.62% below the same period last year, while European arrivals were down 1.40%. Economic conditions and higher airfares were among the factors affecting travel.
The update also identified Russia as the only major market recording growth in that assessment, at 4.66%.
Different outlooks for short-haul and long-haul travel
Long-haul visitor numbers are expected to increase in the following week as the winter holiday season approaches. However, economic conditions, consumer confidence and airfares could influence travel decisions.
Short-haul arrivals are expected to decline after the Deepavali holiday and the associated travel from Malaysia and Singapore.
