Foreign arrivals down 7.6% so far this yearDespite the prevalence of tourists in Bangkok's Yaowarat area, known as Chinatown, foreign visitor numbers are down this year. (Photo: Bangkok Post)⁠Thailand's foreign ​tourist arrivals dropped 7.59% year-on-year ​in ‌the period Jan 1 to Feb 15, to ⁠about 5.07 million people, the Tourism Ministry said ‌on Tuesday. China was the biggest source market ⁠with 770,427 visitors, followed by Malaysia with 461,742, the ministry said in a statement. ​Thailand's state planning agency expects foreign ​visitors to rise ‌to 35 million this year. There ​were ⁠about 33 million foreign tourists ⁠last year, versus the pre-pandemic record of nearly 40 million in ⁠2019

Source: Bangkok Post February 17, 2026 06:22 UTC