Foreign Arrivals Surge 7% as Russian Tourists Lead Growth
Thailand welcomed 538,661 foreign tourists in the last week of October, a 7.3% increase driven by a 27% surge from Russia and continued growth from China and the United States. Year-to-date arrivals reached 25.46 million, generating over 1.24 trillion baht, though still down 4.6% from last year. Officials expect long-haul markets to keep expanding through the winter holiday season, while monitoring European protests and Russian flight cuts.
Thailand's tourism industry is beginning to feel the high-season momentum as foreign arrivals climbed 7.31%. Tourists from China, Russia, and the United States increased, driving the cumulative ten-month figure above 25.46 million and generating over 1.24 trillion baht in spending.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul reported that the overall tourism picture continues to recover. During the week of October 25-31, 2026, Thailand welcomed 538,661 foreign tourists, up 36,696 or 7.31% from the previous week, averaging 76,952 per day. This reflects growing demand from long-haul markets entering the travel season.
Long-haul markets recorded 227,153 visitors, a 13.60% week-on-week increase and the fifth consecutive week of expansion, supported by the approaching winter holiday period in November. Russia surged 27.19% and the United States rose 5.42%, while France fell 18.68% due to domestic protests.
Short-haul markets saw 311,508 arrivals, up 3.14%, with most returning to normal travel patterns after a lull. However, India declined 14.98% following the conclusion of the Diwali and Navratri festivals.
The top five source markets for the week were Malaysia (61,842), China (51,479), Russia (44,499), India (40,884), and the United States (21,261). China, Russia, and the United States all grew from the prior week, while Malaysia and India dipped.
From January 1 to October 31, 2026, Thailand accumulated 25,464,306 foreign tourists, down 4.59% from the same period last year, generating 1,241,067 million baht in revenue. The top five year-to-date markets were China (4,244,376), Malaysia (3,226,484), India (1,924,417), Russia (1,414,341), and South Korea (932,066).
Looking ahead, long-haul markets are expected to keep expanding as the winter holiday season begins, though officials are monitoring protests in Europe and flight reductions on certain routes, particularly from Russia, which could affect arrivals.
