Thai Outbound Tourism Growth Slows to 3% Amid Rising Costs
Thai outbound tourism growth slowed to just 3% in 2026, reaching 13.45 million trips, down from 12% growth the previous year. Rising travel costs, taxes, and fees — adding 3.5–9.5% per trip — combined with weaker purchasing power are causing middle-income and incentive travelers to cut back. China became the top destination after visa-free entry took effect, with visits surging over 1,200% to 3.06 million in 2025.
Thai outbound travel grew only 3% to 13.45 million trips in 2026, a sharp slowdown from 12% growth in 2025, according to Kasikorn Research Center. The deceleration reflects weakening purchasing power amid the economic climate and rising travel costs — airfares, tourism fees, and in-destination expenses — prompting some segments, particularly middle-income earners and the corporate incentive market, to reduce trip frequency. These groups are especially sensitive to economic conditions and cost increases.
Another pressure on travel budgets is the burden of taxes and fees linked to international tourism. Thais pay an average 3.5–9.5% of per-person, per-trip costs in additional levies beyond airfare, accommodation, food, and personal spending. These charges are collected by both origin and destination countries in three forms: fees embedded in airline tickets such as passenger service charges and departure taxes; pre-paid electronic fees like entry permits, travel authorizations, and environmental conservation fees; and destination-level charges such as tourist or accommodation taxes.
For Thailand, the 1,000-baht departure tax has been postponed, sparing Thai travelers that extra cost for now. However, the trend of rising costs in international markets remains a risk, driven by destination-country fees and geopolitical situations that could affect energy prices and transport fares. This highlights the challenges facing the outbound tourism market as it contends with both cost pressures and sluggish purchasing power.
China emerges as top destination
On the destination side, most Thai outbound travel stays within Asia. Excluding cross-border trips to Malaysia and Laos, China became the number-one short-haul destination after Beijing announced visa-free entry for Thais starting March 1, 2024. In 2025, Thai visits to China surged to 3.06 million, up 1,220% from 232,000 in 2023, with growth continuing into 2026.
Next in popularity are Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, underscoring that Asia remains the primary choice for Thai travelers, especially countries with convenient access and visa facilitation.
Going forward, the Thai outbound market must monitor the impact of economic conditions and geopolitical developments, which could add further pressure on travel costs, while tax and fee burdens in many countries are becoming an increasingly important factor in trip planning.
