Tourists ride a tuk-tuk in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Thailand, May 16, 2025. Photo by Reuters
Thailand, the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, welcomed 30.2 million foreign visitors as of Dec. 7, a 7.19% decrease compared to the same period the previous year.
Malaysia emerged as the largest source market with 4.23 million visitors, narrowly ahead of China which contributed 4.18 million tourists during the period, Nation Thailand reported.
A series of challenges since the beginning of this year such as the kidnapping of Chinese actor Xing Xing, the deadly earthquake in neighboring Myanmar and border clash with Cambodia have left negative impact on Thai tourism.
In August, Thai state planning agency cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 33 million from 37 million.
Thailand welcomed a record nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vietnam welcomed nearly 19.2 million international visitors in the first 11 months of this year, a 21% year-on-year increase and the highest figure ever recorded thanks to its visa reforms.
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