Thailand, the 2nd most visited nation of Southeast Asia in 2025, has set ambitious tourism targets for itself for 2026 and it includes achieving US$95 billion in tourism revenue, according to a VnExpress news release. Thailand attracted over thirty million international arrivals last year which was actually a decline of more than 7% compared to 2024.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report VnExpress. Some parts in boldface…
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has expressed confidence that the country’s tourism sector will earn 3 trillion THB (US$95.35 billion) in revenue this year through its “Amazing 5 Economy” strategy.
The plan targets an 11% increase in international visitors, enhanced domestic tourism, and a focus on sustainable, high-quality growth despite global challenges.
TAT aims for 36.7 million international arrivals and about 210 million domestic trips in 2026. Meanwhile, the revenue target includes 2 trillion THB from international markets, with an expected 11% increase in international tourist arrivals, and 1 trillion THB from domestic tourism, projected to grow by 4%, said TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool.
In 2026, TAT plans to reignite quality tourism growth by addressing challenges such as geopolitical tensions, increasing global competition, and domestic factors like the strong baht, household debt, safety concerns, and natural disasters. The key to success lies in the “Amazing 5 Economy” framework, which includes life economy, sub-culture economy, night economy, circular economy, and platform economy.
In 2025, Thailand recorded total tourism revenue of approximately 2.7 trillion THB. International arrivals reached 32.97 million, down 7.23% year-on-year.
It saw declines in short-haul markets such as Malaysia and China. However, long-haul markets showed strong momentum, with visitors from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa reaching a record 10.8 million.
Notably, arrivals from the U.K. and the U.S. each surpassed one million for the first time. Domestic tourism also expanded, with more than 202 million trips, up 2.7%.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Have you ever toured Thailand before? If you did, how long did you stay in Thailand and how was your overall travel experience there? Do you think Thailand will be to achieve its ambitious tourism targets this year?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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