Tourists enjoy a cruise along the Chao Phraya River. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)

Despite the Chinese market contributing only 14% of tourism arrivals, their spending remained the highest and helped distribute income more widely, while the tourism sector is urged to adapt to challenges expected to persist into next year.

As of Dec 12, Thailand has welcomed 30.8 million foreign tourists this year, with daily arrivals consistently surging above 100,000, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Short-haul markets accounted for five of the top six in terms of arrivals, led by Malaysia, China and India, respectively, while South Korea was fifth, followed by Japan.

The top five long-haul markets comprised Russia, which was No.3 for total arrivals, followed by the US, the UK, Germany and France.

Yuthasak Supasorn, former governor of the TAT and chairman of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, said short-haul travellers accounted for 67% of foreign arrivals, but their revenue contribution was only 55%, while long-haul markets accounted for 33% of arrivals and 45% of tourism revenue.

He said even though the Malaysian market overtook China as the top source for foreign arrivals, the first such instance in 13 years excluding the pandemic, the average spending of Chinese tourists was still the highest.

According to the TAT, Malaysian arrivals are estimated at 4.4 million this year, with the Chinese market slightly lower.

Chinese arrivals have dropped from 28% of the total in 2019 to 14% this year.

In terms of expenditure, tourists from the mainland this year spent roughly 55,000 baht per trip, with an average length of stay of seven days, compared with 22,000 baht for Malaysian tourists staying four days on average.

Mr Yuthasak said the Chinese market remains crucial for the tourism industry nationwide, as they tend to travel more widely across Thailand. Most Malaysians concentrate their visits in the South, particularly in Hat Yai.

The TAT targets 34.9 million foreign arrivals in 2026, an increase of 4% year-on-year, and he said short-haul markets would remain the dominant source.

However, with the sluggish recovery of key markets such as China, shifting market dynamics, and the lingering effects of border conflicts and natural disasters, the sector must diversify to more markets with strategic campaigns, said Mr Yuthasak.

“The country should also renew efforts to enhance safety and resilience,” he said.

Maintaining the growth of domestic tourism could help balance revenue, as the local market is expected to grow by 2% year-on-year to 205 million trips this year, generating 1.15 trillion baht, also rising by 2%, said Mr Yuthasak.