Thailand welcomed 25,464,306 international visitors from 1 January to 31 October 2026, according to preliminary Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) figures. That is 4.59% below the same ten months of 2025, when arrivals reached 26,689,068.
October was the weakest month by percentage. About 2.265 million foreigners arrived, down roughly 12% from 2.574 million in October 2025, the steepest year-on-year monthly fall of 2026 so far. Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul also said foreign visitor spending for January to October fell 2.85% to 1.24 trillion baht.
China still leads, but several big markets are shrinking
China remained the largest source market for the year to date, with 4,244,376 arrivals, up 12.44% on 2025. Malaysia stayed second but fell 16.34% to 3,226,484. South Korea posted the steepest decline among the top markets, down 26.86% to 932,066. India slipped 3.05% to 1,924,417, while Russia was almost flat at 1,414,341. The United States rose 0.94% to 838,365 and Taiwan rose 6.71% to 877,729.
In October alone, China, Malaysia and South Korea all fell sharply against October 2025, which is why the monthly total looks so weak even as China still leads the year.
Long-haul traffic is recovering into high season
The ministry's weekly snapshot for 25 to 31 October shows a different short-term picture. Thailand received 538,661 international arrivals that week, up 7.31% on the previous seven days. Long-haul arrivals rose 13.6% to 227,153, their fifth consecutive weekly increase, helped by stronger travel from Russia and the United States as winter holidays approach. Short-haul arrivals rose more slowly, by 3.14% to 311,508.
The ministry expected long-haul arrivals to keep rising in the first week of November, while warning that protests in Europe and flight cuts on some routes, particularly from Russia, could still dent travel.
What this means if you live here or are planning a trip
For residents, quieter beaches and cheaper midweek hotel rates may linger in places that rely on short-haul markets such as Malaysia and South Korea. For travellers booking winter flights, the long-haul rebound and fresh European and Middle Eastern routes into secondary airports matter more than the ten-month headline. Treat the October count as preliminary: MOTS sometimes revises monthly figures later.