Thailand has welcomed more than five million international visitors since the beginning of 2026, including many Chinese tourists.
From January 1 to February 15, Thailand recorded 5.07 million arrivals, generating approximately 250.6 billion bahts (6.8 billion euros) in revenue.
China drives tourism recovery
Welcome ceremony at Suvarnabhumi Airport for passengers arriving from Shanghai, with traditional performances and gift distribution
Chinese travelers represented the largest share of the market, with more than 770,000 visitors.
The number of Chinese travelers had dropped sharply in recent months, especially after several kidnapping cases linked to networks of fraudulent call centers operating in Burma and Cambodia.
The current recovery occurs in a context of media calm around these issues, and as Beijing has recently advised against traveling to Japan against a backdrop of deteriorating bilateral relations.
This last point is all the more significant as Japan had recently overtaken Thailand as the preferred destination for Chinese tourists.
See: Japan dethrones Thailand as the preferred destination for Chinese tourists
Increase in flights and Lunar New Year effect
Dragon dance during Chinese New Year in Thailand. Photo: The Nation Thailand
“This growth is reflected in a substantial increase in flight frequency,” said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Thai Tourism Authority (TAT).
The number of flights has averaged nearly 2,900 per day this month, a 7% increase from last year, with China-Thailand routes being the busiest.
Just during the period of the Lunar New Year, authorities estimate that 1.25 million foreign tourists will visit the country, generating more than 45 billion bahts (1.22 billion euros).
Recent data has shown that arrivals from mainland China and Hong Kong have increased by more than 80% between February 13 and 15 compared to the previous year.
To support this momentum, TAT and the Chinese Embassy organized a welcome ceremony at Suvarnabhumi Airport for passengers arriving from Shanghai, featuring traditional performances and gift distribution.
See also:
Thailand is ready to reduce the visa-free stay from 60 days after complaints
Thailand is preparing a major overhaul of visas to boost tourism
Boom in arrivals in Thailand: the 5 countries that send the most tourists
Source: Pattaya Mail
1 comment
This influx of Chinese tourists during this period of Chinese "New Year", celebrated between February 17 and March 5, was predictable, as every year, in greater proportions than in the past, the negative effect of the disappearances, abductions and sequestrations of Chinese citizens in fraudulent call centers in Burma and Cambodia seeming to fade in the face of efforts made by Thailand to fight against this exploitation of human beings.
It is too early to draw any conclusions, as the current period is traditionally favorable to a peak in arrivals of Chinese people who come to celebrate the Lunar New Year with expatriate family members or members of their community who have been living in Thailand, sometimes for decades…
Nevertheless, these figures are promising and if they are confirmed throughout the year, they could (finally!) get closer to the 2019 record (39.9 million foreign tourists).
To be continued…!