BANGKOK: Thailand's foreign tourist arrivals dropped 6% in the first seven months of 2025, with the kingdom welcoming 19.29 million international visitors compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The decline comes as regional competitors—particularly China, Japan, and Vietnam—intensify their efforts to capture the lucrative tourism market, with several nations positioning tourism as the cornerstone of their economic recovery strategies.
Japan outpaces Thailand in tourist numbers
In a striking comparison, Japan welcomed 21.5 million foreign tourists in just the first six months of 2025, representing a robust 21% increase year-on-year.
This figure significantly exceeds Thailand's six-month total of 16.69 million visitors, highlighting the growing competitive pressure in the region.
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported that South Korea topped Japan's visitor rankings with 4.78 million tourists, followed closely by China with 4.72 million—a remarkable 53.5% surge.
Thailand ranked sixth amongst countries visiting Japan, with 680,500 Thai tourists making the journey, up 10.1% from the previous year.
China reclaims top spot
China has reclaimed its position as Thailand's largest source market, narrowly edging out Malaysia. Chinese arrivals totalled 2.69 million visitors over the seven-month period, whilst Malaysia recorded 2.66 million tourists.
The top 10 source markets for Thailand were: China (2.69 million), Malaysia (2.66 million), India (1.37 million), Russia (1.12 million), South Korea (902,000), the United Kingdom (643,000), the United States (632,000), Taiwan (585,000), Japan (584,000), and Laos (562,000).
Despite generating 895.16 billion baht in revenue from international tourism during the seven-month period, this represents a 4.22% decline compared to the same timeframe in 2024.
Mounting regional competition
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), acknowledged the intensifying competition from regional destinations.
"China has become both our biggest customer and most significant competitor," she observed.
"Many countries worldwide are dedicating substantial resources to attract Chinese tourists, whilst China itself is investing heavily to draw international visitors."
Japan's competitive advantages include superior tourism infrastructure, convenient transportation networks, and a weakened yen that makes the destination more affordable for international travellers.
Meanwhile, Vietnam presents an increasingly formidable challenge with its fresh image, developing infrastructure, and competitive cost structure across trade, investment, labour, and taxation.
Domestic tourism resilient despite economic headwinds
Domestic tourism has shown resilience, with Thai residents taking 100.23 million trips within the country during the first six months of 2025—a 2.49% increase despite tight household budgets and high debt levels.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong highlighted this as a positive indicator of continued recovery in domestic tourism.
"Despite constraints from grassroots economic conditions, Thai people continue to travel consistently," he noted.
The ministry projects domestic tourism revenue of 1.1 trillion baht for the full year 2025, based on an estimated 205 million domestic trips. - The Nation/ANN
