Thailand woos heat-weary Europeans with travel and air-conditioners
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The surge in Thailand’s exports of air-conditioners to Europe comes as much of the continent grapples with heatwaves.
PHOTO: AFP
- Thailand is promoting rainy-season holidays to attract Europeans escaping extreme summer heat, offering discounts and fewer crowds.
- Thai air-conditioner exports to Europe surged 41.3% in May and 16.5% in early 2026, with Germany and France as top buyers.
- Heatwaves are shifting European demand, making air-conditioners essential, boosting Thailand's manufacturing and export growth in cooling appliances.
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BANGKOK – As soaring temperatures fuel demand for cooling in Europe, Thailand is pitching itself as a source of relief, promoting rainy-season holidays while exporting more air-conditioners.
With tourism and outbound shipments, two of the South-east Asian economy’s biggest drivers, Europe’s heatwaves are creating opportunities on both fronts.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign encouraging European travellers to swop scorching summer temperatures for the nation’s milder rainy season, luring visitors with discounted hotel rates and fewer crowds.
And as tourism officials hope Europeans will come to Thailand to escape the heat, the country’s manufacturers are increasingly sending the cooling to them.
Thailand’s exports of air-conditioners to Europe jumped 41.3 per cent from a year earlier to US$130.1 million (S$168.3 million) in May, while shipments in the first five months of 2026 rose 16.5 per cent to US$696.8 million, data from Thailand’s Commerce Ministry shows.
Europe accounted for 18 per cent of Thailand’s air-conditioner exports in 2025, making it the second-largest market after the United States.
France and Germany are among the country’s biggest European buyers. Exports to Germany jumped 37.2 per cent in the January to May period, while shipments to France rose 13.9 per cent.
The surge comes as much of Europe grapples with homes built to retain heat rather than keep it out, leaving households increasingly vulnerable as heatwaves become more frequent.
Retailers in Germany have reported shortages of portable air-conditioners and electric fans as temperatures climb well above seasonal norms.
In China, rising European appetite for portable air-conditioner units is providing earnings tailwinds for appliance giants including Midea Group, Haier Smart Home and Gree Electric Appliances.
Thailand, one of the world’s largest air-conditioner exporters alongside China and Mexico, is already showing signs of benefiting from stronger demand.
Air-conditioner output rose 20 per cent in May from a year earlier, even as overall manufacturing production declined, according to the Industry Ministry.
Top-selling brands include several Japanese manufacturers like Daikin Industries and Mitsubishi Electric. While the companies may be headquartered elsewhere, they have long had a manufacturing presence in Thailand owing to its established electronics supply chain.
“This is good timing for our exporters,” said Thai National Shippers’ Council vice-chairman Suparp Suwanpimolkul, who expects more European households to install air-conditioners as extreme heat becomes more common.
Thailand exported US$7.43 billion of air-conditioners and parts in 2025, with shipments totalling US$3.86 billion in the first five months of 2026.
“Heatwaves are changing consumer behaviour,” said Nantapong Chiralerspong, director-general of the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office.
“Air-conditioners are no longer seen as a luxury, but increasingly as a lifesaving appliance.”
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