Thailand's foreign tourist arrivals increased by 8.24% week on week to 522,532 during September 27 to October 3, 2026, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. The daily average was 74,647 foreign tourists, 39,781 more than the previous week.
The rise was fueled by stronger demand from both short-haul and long-haul markets, supported by regional public holidays. China's Golden Week holiday was a major factor, with Chinese arrivals surging 41.98% week on week. Other key markets included India, up 16.53%, and Russia, up 14.23%.
Year-to-date foreign arrivals from January 1 to October 3 totaled 23,452,895, a 3.88% decline compared to the same period in 2025. Revenue from foreign tourists over that period was 1,142.485 billion baht, down 2.26% year on year.
Minister Surasak noted that flight cancellations by some airlines had a minor impact on tourism, while news coverage of Bangkok flooding did not directly affect tourism. He expected arrivals to ease in the week after October 3 as holiday travel from China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia returned to normal.
