PATTAYA, Thailand – On paper, Thailand’s tourism rebound in early 2026 looks convincing.
The government reports that between January 1 and February 22, 2026, the country welcomed 5,947,434 international visitors, generating an estimated 293.1 billion baht in tourism revenue. China ranked as the largest source market with nearly one million arrivals, followed by Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea.
According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Airin Phanrit, arrivals during the week of February 16–22 totaled 879,587, a marginal 0.34% decline from the previous week. Malaysia saw a sharp 33% jump to 111,581 visitors, its strongest showing in eight weeks, driven by school holidays. Russian arrivals increased 7.57%, while arrivals from China, India, and South Korea eased as peak holiday travel ended — though China still delivered nearly 200,000 visitors in a single week.
Looking ahead, officials expect arrivals to remain stable into the final week of February, supported by “Ease of Traveling” measures such as the suspension of the TM.6 immigration form, increased flight frequencies, and the “Trusted Thailand” safety campaign. Authorities also point to a broader shift in Chinese outbound travel toward ASEAN destinations as a continued tailwind for Thailand.
From a national dashboard perspective, the tourism engine appears to be running again.
But on the streets of Pattaya, many long-term foreign residents and business owners are struggling to reconcile those numbers with what they see every day.
Bar owners, restaurateurs, shopkeepers, and hotel staff describe uneven foot traffic, with brief bursts of activity followed by long quiet stretches. Some areas feel busy only at specific hours, while others — particularly away from organized tour routes — feel closer to low season than a full high-season recovery. For those who live and work here year-round, recovery isn’t measured in weekly arrival charts, but in consistent daily spending, table turnover, and hotel rooms booked beyond weekends.
That disconnect fuels skepticism.
Among Pattaya expats, a common refrain is heard repeatedly: “We’re on the ground.” Many argue that arrival volume alone doesn’t capture spending power, length of stay, or how widely tourism money circulates locally. Large tour groups that arrive by bus, follow fixed itineraries, and leave the same day may boost national counts while contributing little to independent businesses.
Business owners, still carrying scars from the pandemic years, are especially cautious. COVID wasn’t just a slowdown — it erased savings, shut venues permanently, and pushed many operators into debt. For them, recovery means sustained demand over months, not short-lived spikes tied to school holidays, promotions, or charter flights.
There is also lingering distrust over applying national-level data to local realities. What works for Bangkok or Phuket doesn’t always translate to Pattaya’s complex mix of nightlife, mid-range hotels, small restaurants, and informal services. When officials speak of “quality tourism,” locals want clearer proof: higher average spend, longer stays, repeat visitors, and visible benefits across neighborhoods — not just headline totals.
None of this means the government’s figures are fabricated. They may be accurate in aggregate. But in Pattaya, belief doesn’t come from press briefings or dashboards — it comes from receipts, reservations, and whether tomorrow feels stronger than today.
Until the recovery is felt consistently on the ground, many expats and business owners here will continue to “swallow” the numbers cautiously, waiting for proof not in statistics, but in sustained, everyday economic life.
