The Pailin Prum Border Gate remains under construction while the Cambodia–Thailand border closure remains in effect. - PPP
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s tourism sector has witnessed contrasting trends in the past three months. Arrivals from Thailand continue to decline sharply while Chinese tourists are surging, according to reporting from the Ministry of Tourism.
Meanwhile, Chinese arrivals surged 35% year-on-year, with 100,738 arrivals, becoming the largest source of visitors to Cambodia that month.
The ministry credited the increase to new aviation routes which connect major Chinese cities to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Ministry data for July to September showed that Thai arrivals dropped for the third consecutive month in 2025, to 49,549 visitors, a sharp 93 per cent decline compared with the same period last year, when Cambodia welcomed 541,597 guests from the neighbouring kingdom.
July tourist arrivals from Thailand fell 90.5 per cent from the year before — from 192,284 visitors in 2024 to just 18,298.
This dramatic fall saw Thailand drop from being the second-largest source of guests to third place that month.
The steep decline coincided with a 70 per cent drop in land border entries, which traditionally accounted for most Thai visitors.
The decline persisted through August and September, reflecting the land-border closure between the two countries.
In August, the downward trend for Thailand persisted. Provisional figures show a continued contraction in Thai arrivals with 91,6% decline, while Chinese visitors maintained strong momentum, supported by tour groups and rising business travel.
By September 2025, Thai arrivals fell further with a 91.2% decrease, marking three consecutive months of decline.
Quarterly data show that between January and September 2025, Thai guests dropped 35.9 per cent, from 1.52 million in 2024 to 978,826.
In contrast, Chinese arrivals during the same period reached 897,865 — a 46.3 per cent increase, making China the third-largest source market after Thailand and Vietnam.
The data showed that land crossings dropped more than 26 per cent year-on-year over the nine-month period, while air arrivals grew by 22 per cent. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
