PATTAYA, Thailand – Despite global uncertainties and momentary dips, Thailand’s tourism industry continues to show resilience — and even signs of renewed momentum. As the first half of 2025 unfolds, officials and industry leaders insist that Thailand has not reached a dead end, with strong foreign arrivals, steady revenue, and a renewed belief that a little luck and a lot of effort will carry the nation forward.
According to Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports, Thailand welcomed more than 13.4 million international visitors from January 1 to May 18, generating over 632.9 billion baht in spending. The top markets fueling this growth include China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Russia — with South Korea’s tourism surging by more than 10%, elevating it from the 8th to 4th most frequent source country.
In the most recent week, Thailand recorded 464,531 foreign arrivals, averaging 66,361 visitors per day. While this marks a slight drop of 5.11% from the previous week, officials are confident that the overall trend remains strong. In fact, key markets like China, India, and South Korea all showed week-on-week growth of 2.18%, 1.34%, and 10.47%, respectively.
Top five source countries for the week: Malaysia – 68,738 visitors, China – 62,569, India – 50,571, South Korea – 18,213, and Laos – 17,034
The government attributes this resilience to the ongoing “Amazing Thailand 2025” campaign, combined with policies that make travel easier. These include the waiver of the TM.6 arrival card, enhanced ease-of-travel measures, and active encouragement for airlines to increase flight frequencies. Additional boosts are expected from upcoming holidays in Malaysia and various tourism and sports events planned throughout the country.
“Thailand isn’t stuck. The numbers prove we’re still on the move,” said Minister Sorawong. “With continued cooperation and the charm of Thai culture, we believe luck — and planning — will help us all.”
As tourism remains a key pillar of Thailand’s economic recovery, optimism continues to grow. Whether through strategic campaigns, eased travel policies, or a little Thai-style faith in fortune, the message is clear: Thailand is moving forward — not backwards.
