Thailand counted 25,464,306 foreign arrivals from 1 January to 31 October 2026, 4.59% fewer than in the same period of 2025, according to preliminary figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In the last week of October, though, long-haul arrivals rose for the fifth week in a row. Explera DMC Thailand explains what the numbers say about winter 2026/27 and how agents can use them with clients.
Explera handles ground arrangements as a Thailand DMC for travel agents. Its Thai company, Explera DMC Co., Ltd., holds TAT licence 14/05119, the Tourism Business Licence issued by the Department of Tourism, and the group is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and a member of ASTA (900408341). Write to b2b@explera.co.th.
What do the January to October figures say?
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul released the figures on 2 November. Foreign visitors spent about 1.24 trillion baht over the ten months, down 2.85% on last year. China was the largest market with about 4.24 million arrivals, up 12.44%, followed by Malaysia with about 3.23 million, down 16.34%, then India, Russia and South Korea. South Korea showed the steepest fall among the top ten. The figures are preliminary and can be revised when the ministry publishes final data.
How strong is the long-haul growth?
From 25 to 31 October Thailand recorded 538,661 foreign arrivals, about 76,952 a day and 7.31% more than the week before. Long-haul arrivals reached 227,153, up 13.6% on the previous week, the fifth weekly rise in a row, while short-haul arrivals rose 3.14%. Russia, with 44,499 arrivals that week, and the United States, with 21,261, were named as the long-haul markets driving it. The minister expected long-haul numbers to keep climbing in the first week of November as the winter holidays begin. That is a forecast, not a count, and he also named two risks: protests in Europe, which the ministry linked to an 18.68% weekly drop in French arrivals, and flight cuts on some routes, particularly from Russia.
What does this mean for winter 2026/27 selling?
Read the two numbers together. A year that is down overall does not mean empty hotels in the weeks your clients want. Long-haul demand clusters around Christmas, New Year and the European school holidays, and it lands mostly on the beaches, such as Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui, as well as in Bangkok. If the long-haul trend holds, those weeks will tighten first. Short-haul markets that have fallen this year, such as Malaysia and South Korea, may leave more room in other weeks and in other places, but nobody has published figures by destination or by hotel, so do not promise a client space on the strength of the national total.
For clients from Russia, plan around seats rather than rooms. If capacity on some routes is cut, a confirmed flight matters more than a hotel hold. Our post on TAT's year-end flight support covers what TAT is doing about seats for November and December.
How can agents use the data with clients?
The ministry releases preliminary arrivals every week, and The Nation and other Thai outlets report them early the following week. Use them as a talking point, not a promise. A client who hears that long-haul travel to Thailand has grown for five weeks in a row is more likely to confirm early. A client who hears that the year is down may expect a late deal, which is why it helps to explain that the peak weeks run on a different calendar from the annual total. Ask your Thailand DMC which hotels are already tight for your dates, and use our hotel bookings team to hold rooms now and review them in early December. The rest of what we do is on our Thailand DMC services page.
Next steps
Send us your winter dates, destinations and group sizes through our contact page. The trade desk replies within 24 hours and will tell you what is still open.
Sources
- Nation Thailand: Thailand records 25.46m arrivals as long-haul growth builds
- Nation Thailand: Thailand's tourist arrivals fall 4.59% to 25.46m in 10 months
Frequently asked questions
How many foreign tourists visited Thailand from January to October 2026?
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports counted 25,464,306 foreign arrivals from 1 January to 31 October 2026, 4.59% fewer than in the same period of 2025. The figures are preliminary.
Which markets are growing?
China, the largest market, was up 12.44% over the ten months. In the last week of October, long-haul arrivals rose 13.6% on the previous week, with Russia and the United States named as the main drivers.
Will hotels be easier to book this winter because arrivals are down?
Not in the peak weeks. The fall is spread across the year and is concentrated in some short-haul markets, while long-haul demand for Christmas, New Year and the beaches is rising. Hold rooms for peak dates now.
Where can I find the weekly arrival figures?
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports releases preliminary weekly figures, and Thai outlets such as The Nation report them, usually early in the week. Treat any forecast attached to them as a forecast.
