Bangkok: Mr. Surasak Panjaroenvorakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, revealed the initial assessment results showing that from January 1st to September 12th, 2026, Thailand had a cumulative total of 21.72 million foreign tourists, a decrease of 3.38 percent compared to the same period last year. This week, overall tourism slowed down in line with the normal travel trend. The number of tourists from nearby markets decreased due to several countries having consecutive holidays in the following weeks, including Malaysia Day, Silver Week in Japan, Chuseok holiday in Korea, and China's National Day, which is Golden Week. This resulted in tourists delaying their travel plans before increasing during these holidays. Meanwhile, long-haul markets continued to show normal tourist numbers.
According to Thai News Agency, tourism during the transition period before the peak tourist season in October saw 439,069 foreign tourists entering Thailand this week, a decrease of 33,829 people or 7.15% from the previous week. This averages out to 62,724 tourists per day. When considering by market segment, nearby markets accounted for 299,114 tourists. The number of people in the remote market decreased by 9.64 percent from the previous week, while the number of people in the long-distance market was 139,955, a decrease of 1.34 percent from the previous week.
The top five foreign tourist markets visiting Thailand are China, Malaysia, India, Japan, and Russia. India saw a 1.88% increase, Japan a 4.91% increase, and Russia a 4.03% increase compared to the previous week, while China and Malaysia experienced a decrease.