Thailand’s foreign tourist numbers fall 6% as regional competition intensifies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The decline comes as regional competitors intensify their efforts to capture the lucrative tourism market.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
BANGKOK – Thailand’s foreign tourist arrivals dropped 6 per cent in the first seven months of 2025, with the kingdom welcoming 19.29 million international visitors compared with the same period in 2024, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The decline comes as regional competitors – particularly China, Japan and Vietnam – intensify their efforts to capture the lucrative tourism market, with several nations positioning tourism as the cornerstone of their economic recovery strategies.
Japan outpaces Thailand in tourist numbers
In a striking comparison, Japan welcomed 21.5 million foreign tourists in just the first six months of 2025, representing a robust 21 per cent increase year on year.
This figure significantly exceeds Thailand’s six-month total of 16.69 million visitors, highlighting the growing competitive pressure in the region.
The Japan National Tourism Organisation reported that South Korea topped Japan’s visitor rankings with 4.78 million tourists, followed closely by China with 4.72 million – a remarkable 53.5 per cent surge.
Thailand ranked sixth among countries visiting Japan, with 680,500 Thai tourists making the journey, up 10.1 per cent from 2024.
China reclaims top spot
China has reclaimed its position as Thailand’s largest source market, narrowly edging out Malaysia. Chinese arrivals totalled 2.69 million visitors over the seven-month period, while Malaysia recorded 2.66 million tourists.
The top 10 source markets for Thailand were: China (2.69 million), Malaysia (2.66 million), India (1.37 million), Russia (1.12 million), South Korea (902,000), the UK (643,000), the US (632,000), Taiwan (585,000), Japan (584,000), and Laos (562,000).
Despite generating 895.16 billion baht (S$35.6 billion) in revenue from international tourism during the seven-month period, this represents a 4.22 per cent decline compared with the same timeframe in 2024.
Mounting regional competition
Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, acknowledged the intensifying competition from regional destinations.
“China has become both our biggest customer and most significant competitor,” she observed.
“Many countries worldwide are dedicating substantial resources to attract Chinese tourists, while China itself is investing heavily to draw international visitors.”
Japan’s competitive advantages include superior tourism infrastructure, convenient transport networks, and a weakened yen that makes the destination more affordable for international travellers.
Meanwhile, Vietnam presents an increasingly formidable challenge with its fresh image, developing infrastructure, and competitive cost structure across trade, investment, labour and taxation.
Domestic tourism resilient despite economic headwinds
Domestic tourism has shown resilience, with Thai residents taking 100.23 million trips within the country during the first six months of 2025 – a 2.49 per cent increase despite tight household budgets and high debt levels.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong highlighted this as a positive indicator of continued recovery in domestic tourism.
“Despite constraints from grassroots economic conditions, Thai people continue to travel consistently,” he noted.
The ministry projects domestic tourism revenue of 1.1 trillion baht for the full year 2025, based on an estimated 205 million domestic trips. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
