BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s tourism sector ended 2025 with lower revenue as a sharp fall in foreign visitors, led by China, offset resilient domestic travel.
Tourism revenue dips despite robust domestic travel
Overall tourism receipts in 2025 fell by 1.26 percent to 2.7 trillion baht, mainly due to fewer international arrivals. Only 32.97 million foreign visitors came to Thailand, a decline of 7.23 percent compared with the previous year, and revenue from this group dropped by 4.71 percent. Domestic demand, however, remained stable, with Thais taking more than 202 million trips inside the country, an increase of 2.70 percent.
Sharp decline from China reshapes visitor rankings
The downturn was most pronounced in the key source market of China, where arrivals fell to 4.47 million, a plunge of 33.55 percent. This pushed China into second place in the visitor rankings behind Malaysia, which sent 4.52 million travellers but also recorded an 8.71 percent decline. Tourism revenue from China shrank by almost one third to 249.9 billion baht, leaving a significant gap in overall earnings.
India, Russia and Europe buck the trend
Some markets grew strongly against the wider weakness. Arrivals from India rose by 16.82 percent, while Russia sent 8.80 percent more holidaymakers. The United Kingdom, Germany and France even posted record numbers, indicating sustained demand from Europe.
Revenue from India increased by 22.61 percent and from Russia by 9.77 percent, suggesting that visitors from these countries spent more per trip. These expanding markets are seen as crucial to cushioning the impact of the Chinese shortfall.
Government emphasizes “quality tourism” over volume
Despite the overall decline, tourism deputy minister Nutreeya Thaewong rejected talk of a crisis.
“The decline is not alarming.”
said Nutreeya Thaewong, tourism deputy minister. She instead highlighted growth among what the ministry calls “quality tourists,” who are expected to spend more and seek higher-end experiences.
The strategy for 2026 was set to focus on wellness offerings and upmarket tourism products. A central objective remained strengthening confidence in safety, which Nutreeya described as a key factor in travel decisions.
Campaigns and easier travel planned for 2026
The Tourism Ministry planned to continue its “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year” campaign into 2026. It also aimed to create new experiences to retain repeat visitors and attract newcomers. Simplifying travel formalities was described as an ongoing priority.
The government placed its hopes on growing markets such as India and European countries to offset losses from the mass Chinese segment. Whether this quality-focused approach can fully compensate for millions of missing visitors was expected to become clear in 2026.