Thailand welcomes 19.76m tourists despite 2.9% decline
Foreign visitors spent 957.62 billion baht from January 1 to August 15, while weekly arrivals fell 3.79% as holiday travel eased.
Thailand welcomed 19.76 million foreign tourists between January 1 and August 15, generating an estimated 957.62 billion baht in visitor spending, although arrivals were 2.91% lower than in the same period last year.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Monday (August 17) that preliminary figures showed 19,759,655 international arrivals over the period.
China remained Thailand’s largest source market with 3,330,481 visitors, followed by Malaysia with 2,496,831 and India with 1,456,696.
Russia ranked fourth with 1,140,441 arrivals, while South Korea was fifth with 729,367.
Weekly arrivals decline by 3.79%
Thailand received 612,643 foreign visitors during the week of August 9–15, down 24,126, or 3.79%, from the previous week.
The figure represented an average of 87,520 international arrivals per day.
Short-haul markets accounted for 413,815 visitors, a week-on-week decline of 1.76%. Long-haul arrivals fell more sharply, dropping 7.76% to 198,828.
The ministry attributed the short-haul slowdown partly to China entering the final stage of its summer holiday period.
Malaysian travel also eased ahead of a long holiday associated with Maulidur Rasul in the following week.
Long-haul arrivals weakened as well, particularly from Europe, where the summer holiday season was nearing its end.
Japan bucks broader weekly slowdown
Japan was one of the few major markets to record continued growth, with arrivals increasing for a second consecutive week.
The number of Japanese visitors rose 13.71% from the previous week to 30,666, supported by travel during the Mountain Day and Obon holiday period.
China remained the largest weekly source market with 123,410 arrivals, although the figure fell 4.02% week on week.
Malaysia followed with 60,049 visitors, down 5.05%, while arrivals from India increased 4.67% to 41,047.
South Korea ranked fifth for the week with 25,858 arrivals, an increase of 5.78%.
Further easing expected next week
The ministry expects overall foreign arrivals to slow further in the following week as this year’s summer holiday travel period enters its final stage.
