Southeast Asia's 2nd largest economy sees foreign arrivals down 10.7%

By VNA February 12, 2026 | 04:44 pm PT

Tourists visit Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn on the eve of Lunar New Year in Bangkok, Thailand January 28, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, recorded 4.1 million foreign arrivals from Jan. 1 to Feb. 8, down 10.77%, generating an estimated 207.06 billion THB (US$6.65 billion) in revenue, according to the latest update by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

The five largest source markets for Thailand's tourism were China (569,987 arrivals), Malaysia (377,860), Russia (340,618), India (285,767) and South Korea (207,357).

Natthriya Thaweevong, Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports, Chinese arrivals rose sharply over the past week, ranking first and increasing for more than five consecutive weeks, supported by government measures aimed at boosting travel.

She also cited a shift in travel behavior among Chinese tourists, with some changing preferred destinations from Japan to South Korea and ASEAN countries.

The ministry noted that long-haul travel has also improved, driven by higher visitor numbers from Europe and the Americas.

Overall, for the week Feb. 2-8, Thailand recorded 796,978 international arrivals, up 34,586, or 4.54%, from the previous week, averaging 113,854 arrivals per day.