Thai Tourism Is 20% Below Its 2019 Peak
Skift Take
Thailand's foreign arrivals fell 7.2% in 2025 to 32.97 million as Chinese tourists dropped 30%, prompting Erawan Group to expand overseas.
Nikkei Asia published an article on how the decline in Chinese tourists really gave Thailand a hit to foreign arrivals. This is not something that has been well known, but the article described a -30% drop in Chinese arrivals and that it is down -60% compared to two and a half years ago. In 2025, foreign tourist arrivals dropped by -7.2% to 32.97 million, the first decline in four years. From the peak in 2019, that number was down nearly -20%. The Thai government is targeting a 10% increase in foreign tourist arrivals this year to 36.7 million. While the incident with the Chinese actor in January 2025 has been the main reason given for the decline in Chinese visitation, the strong baht, Thailand and Cambodia skirmish and southern floods all contributed. A survey by Thai Hotels Association has hotel operators expecting a flat 2026 for foreign arrivals. The article discussed some Thai hotel companies and how they are planning to offset all this. Erawan Group reported a b
