Thailand welcomed more than 2.6 million international visitors in January 2026, figures released by the Tourism and Sports Ministry indicate, reflecting a sustained rebound at the start of the year after a challenging 2025. The cumulative tally through the fourth week of January was driven by strong short-haul demand, particularly from China, Malaysia and India, as well as increased arrivals from other key markets.

Officials reported that foreign arrivals totalled over 2.6 million by January 25, with the weekly count alone reaching more than 750,000 travellers — a slight rise from the previous week and averaging around 107,800 visitors per day.

China emerged as the largest source market in the latest week, with more than 100,000 tourists entering Thailand, marking the first time in roughly fifteen weeks that Chinese arrivals had surpassed that threshold.

Malaysia and India followed in numbers, contributing to the uptick in overall demand.

Tourism authorities attribute the early-year increase to a combination of factors, including stronger regional travel momentum, improved flight connectivity and promotional efforts to attract inbound visitors.

While data for the full month are still being compiled, the early surge contrasts with broader 2025 trends, during which total foreign arrivals for the year declined compared with pre-pandemic peaks and Chinese visitor numbers were significantly lower.

Despite the positive start to 2026, longer-term forecasts from industry analysts and national tourism bodies have been cautious, citing external headwinds such as broader economic uncertainty, competition from neighbouring destinations, and structural challenges within Thailand’s tourism ecosystem.

Yet the January performance suggests the sector may be regaining traction as airlines expand capacity and travel confidence improves among key markets, particularly in Asia.