Thailand’s Tourism Industry Suffers Blow As Chinese Arrivals Drop Sharply, Driving Shift Toward Emerging Markets And High-Spending Traveler

Published on July 10, 2025

Thailand’s tourism industry is experiencing a notable downturn in 2025, driven by a sharp reduction in international arrivals—particularly from China, one of its historically strongest source markets. Between January 1 and July 5, 2025, the country received 16.8 million foreign visitors, reflecting a five percent year-on-year drop.

Tourism data shows that regional markets contributed the majority of arrivals, making up 67.1% of total international visitors. However, this segment experienced a decline of 12.20% compared to the previous year. The East Asian region, in particular, saw a steep 24.81% fall in arrivals, with China emerging as the most significant contributor to this downturn. In contrast, long-haul markets performed better, showing a 14.88% growth over the same period last year, offering some relief to an otherwise fragile recovery.

China’s sharp pullback remains a major concern. The number of Chinese travelers visiting Thailand from January to early July 2025 was down by 34.23% compared to the same period in 2019, the last pre-pandemic benchmark year. In 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for around 11.1 million of Thailand’s 39.8 million international visitors—approximately 28% of the total, or nearly 925,000 arrivals per month. This year, that figure has fallen significantly, disrupting Thailand’s inbound tourism composition.

The ongoing decline has raised concerns about the perception of Thailand’s safety among potential Chinese visitors. Industry observers point to this factor, along with evolving travel preferences, as a key reason for the sharp drop in arrivals. Experts are calling for immediate strategies to enhance safety standards, rebuild traveler confidence, and broaden the country’s appeal by targeting alternative markets.

The shifting dynamic highlights the urgent need for Thailand’s tourism authorities to diversify their outreach and lessen dependence on any single country. With neighboring markets underperforming, and long-haul markets showing encouraging signs, the sector may need to reorient its promotional efforts, emphasizing not just affordability and experiences, but also safety and trust.

Thailand’s tourism rebound, while underway, now depends heavily on adapting to new realities in the global travel landscape—where safety, flexibility, and market diversity play a pivotal role in shaping visitor decisions.

As of now, Chinese travelers represent just 13.58% of Thailand’s total international arrivals—a sharp decline from previous years. Should this pattern continue throughout 2025, Thailand is likely to welcome only between four to five million visitors from China. This would mark the first time in over a decade, excluding the pandemic and immediate recovery years, that Chinese tourist numbers fall below the five million threshold.

This sharp reduction in Chinese arrivals is having a ripple effect on Thailand’s tourism revenue goals. Although Malaysia has now emerged as the country’s largest source market, bringing in 2.36 million tourists compared to China’s 2.32 million, the spending patterns between the two markets are vastly different. Chinese tourists are known to stay longer, averaging 7.36 days per visit, and spend significantly more—about 42,428 baht per trip. In contrast, Malaysian visitors typically stay just 4.17 days and spend an average of 21,450 baht.

Despite the setback from the Chinese market, several other countries have shown positive momentum. Visitor numbers from India, Japan, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all seen growth in recent months. Long-haul travelers, in particular, tend to spend more—averaging 81,482 baht per trip—compared to approximately 50,000 baht per visitor from short-haul markets. However, these higher-spending segments currently account for only 28% of overall arrivals, limiting their ability to fully offset the financial shortfall caused by the decline in Chinese tourism.

Compounding the issue, global economic uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical tensions are making travelers from long-haul markets more cautious with their spending. While the rise in tourist numbers from alternative markets is a positive sign, it is not yet sufficient to make up for the substantial gap left by Chinese visitors—who have traditionally driven a large portion of both volume and revenue for Thailand’s tourism economy.

Thailand’s tourism sector is grappling with more than just safety-related concerns from Chinese travelers—it is also under mounting pressure from intensified regional competition. Japan and Vietnam have emerged as strong contenders, drawing a growing share of Chinese tourists away from Thailand. Japan’s appeal has surged thanks to the weakened yen, making travel more affordable and attractive for Chinese visitors. As a result, Japan has already welcomed over 3.1 million Chinese tourists, overtaking Thailand in visitor numbers. At the same time, the appreciation of the Thai baht has made Vietnam a more budget-friendly option, further contributing to a shift in Chinese tourist preferences toward neighboring destinations.