Southeast Asia's 2nd largest economy welcomes 2.6 million foreign tourists in January

By Hoang Vu February 9, 2026 | 03:00 pm PT

Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo by Reuters

Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, welcomed 2.62 million foreign tourists from Jan. 1 to 25, generating about 129.9 billion baht (US$4.1 billion) in tourism revenue, marking a strong start to 2026.

China was the largest source of visitors to Thailand with 301,484 arrivals, followed by Malaysia and Russia, Nation Thailand reported citing a source from its Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

India ranked fourth, followed by South Korea.

Thailand has set its target of welcoming 36.7 million foreign arrivals this year, a 13% increase from last year, and earning tourism revenue of 2.78 trillion baht (US$88.3 billion), up 7%.

With 32.9 million international arrivals in 2025, Thailand ranked as Southeast Asia's second most visited country after Malaysia, which received over 42 million, marking the second consecutive year the kingdom has relinquished its regional tourism crown.

Vietnam, another tourism rival in Southeast Asia, received 2.5 million foreign visitors in January, its highest monthly number ever.