Thailand beats Malaysia, Singapore in list of world's fastest-growing tourist destinations

By Hoang Vu September 7, 2025 | 07:13 pm PT

Tourists are seen in Bangkok's Chinatown, Thailand, May 16, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Thailand ranked 12nd in a list of 30 fastest-growing tourist destinations with year-on-year increase of 26.27% in the number of foreign visitors, falling behind Vietnam but surpassing other Southeast Asian neighbors.

Sweeping visa reforms and increased tourism campaigns helped draw 35.5 million tourists to Thailand last year, according to the Telegraph Travel analysis of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNTWO)'s global tourism statistics.

Its growth far surpasses other regional countries such as Laos 25.29% (13th), Malaysia 24.20% (15th), Cambodia 22.87% (16th) and Singapore 21.22% (20th).

But it falls behind Vietnam, which records a 38.64% growth to top Southeast Asia and rank fourth globally.

Thailand has struggled with tourism challenges this year amid safety concerns and political instability.

The country welcomed more than 21 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2025, a 7.14% decline compared with the same period last year, according to the Tourism Ministry.

The government cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 33 million from 37 million.

There was a record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the pandemic.