We’re only 2 months into the year, but Thailand is already well on its way to meeting (and exceeding) its targets for international arrivals in 2025, and potentially returning to pre-pandemic levels if these trends continue.
According to a recent statement by Sorawong Thienthong, from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand welcomed 5.5 million foreigners between 1 January and 16 February 2025, in the process generating more than 270 billion baht in tourism revenue.
While some observers have attributed this mini-boom to the seasonal influx of travellers for New Year and Chinese New Year celebrations, data suggest the growth could be here to stay.
Visitor numbers from long-haul markets continued to rise by 1.3% during the third week of February, with Malaysia, China, South Korea, India, Russia, France and the USA making up the bulk of arrivals. Russian arrivals in particular grew significantly during this time, up 7.54% compared to the previous week.
Thailand’s tourism ministry says they expect current trends to continue in the coming weeks, and attribute this popularity to a combination of tourism and sports events, streamlined travel measures, and favourable visa application procedures for foreign travellers.
Minister Sorawong added that Thailand’s “diverse attractions and well-developed tourism infrastructure” continue to appeal to foreign visitors, and are expected to form the seedbed for more growth in the months ahead.
Foreign tourist arrivals from 1 January to 23 February were 10.3% higher than the same period in 2024, with around 6.35 million arrivals recorded, including 988,451 from China. In response to the latest figures, the National Economic and Social Development Council has projected 38 million foreign tourists in 2025.
