Thailand Tourist Arrivals 2026

[Rockheart]

This article says tourism is down so far over 2025 and releases the countries that tourists are coming from.
Chinese are on top followed by Malaysia, India and Russia. This can be seen in Pattaya on walking street with Russian and India establishments.
Chinese have always been around but growing in numbers. I think Chinese tend to book all inclusive bus tours and stay in Chinese owned hotels. So you don't see the so many Chinese in the adult nightlife compared to the overall tourist numbers. However Nana and other bar areas do cater more and more to Chinese.
Overall you can see how Europeans and the west are not as highly represented as they may have in the past. The heavy UK influence you used to see in many areas is falling.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/74909/t...ctober-6-2026/

[Escierto]

Very interesting data. The Philippines gets only a tenth of the number of visitors that Thailand gets. The top 5 countries are:
1. South Korea 19.8
2. US 19.0
3. Japan 8.1
4. China 7.4
5. Australia 6.1
The number one makes sense. Filipinos are obsessed with K-pop along with Korean fashion, beauty and drama.

[xiaobohong]

Thank you for sharing the data; I’ve noted two key points. First is the decline in the number of tourists from mainland China. This was to be expected; the government used propaganda to instill a fear of Southeast Asian countries in the demographic that previously constituted the main consumer base—middle-aged people over 50—thereby curbing their overseas travel spending. At the same time, they pressured the Thai government by leveraging tourist volume as a bargaining chip.
In contrast, consider Taiwan: despite a population of only 20 million, as many as 800,000 people from there travel to Thailand.
The second point concerns the travel model mentioned by Rockheart: most mainland Chinese tourists opt for organized tour groups. While these offer low prices, they often involve numerous hidden costs. Language barriers aren't an issue, as the hosting teams provide Chinese-speaking guides. Essentially, Chinese tourism operators have simply replicated the domestic travel model in Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations; aside from the Thai attractions themselves, the hotels, restaurants, and shopping experiences lack any distinctive appeal.
Finally, I believe the sex industry draws many young people to Thailand—including ultimate *kathoey* (ladyboy) enthusiasts like myself.

[Rockheart]

Thank you for sharing the data; I’ve noted two key points. First is the decline in the number of tourists from mainland China. This was to be expected; the government used propaganda to instill a fear of Southeast Asian countries in the demographic that previously constituted the main consumer base—middle-aged people over 50—thereby curbing their overseas travel spending. At the same time, they pressured the Thai government by leveraging tourist volume as a bargaining chip.
In contrast, consider Taiwan: despite a population of only 20 million, as many as 800,000 people from there travel to Thailand.
The second point concerns the travel model mentioned by Rockheart: most mainland Chinese tourists opt for organized tour groups. While these offer low prices, they often involve numerous hidden costs. Language barriers aren't an issue, as the hosting teams provide Chinese-speaking guides. Essentially, Chinese tourism operators have simply replicated the domestic travel model in Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations; aside from the Thai attractions themselves, the hotels, restaurants, and shopping experiences lack any distinctive appeal.
Finally, I believe the sex industry draws many young people to Thailand—including ultimate *kathoey* (ladyboy) enthusiasts like myself.

Wasn't their some movie in the last few of years in China that made people visit thailand in hoardes due to the carefree and whimisical nature of the movie?

I see Chinese tourists on bus tours in Thailand. They just get herded from one place to another and mostly they only go to Chinese establishments as, you say.
I see the same thing in Canada at tourist attractions. Buses of Chinese pull up and they all are herded around, then off to the next thing.
Many do not look like they are having any fun.