Thailand’s tourism sector has hit a rough patch this year, with foreign visitor arrivals down 7.25 percent in the first ten months compared with the same period in 2024, according to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

From January 1 to October 26, the kingdom welcomed 26.25 million international tourists — a sharp shortfall relative to pre-pandemic levels.

The decline is broad-based: while markets such as Malaysia and China remain the largest sources of arrivals — roughly 3.8 million and 3.72 million visitors respectively — the overall trend reflects weakening demand amid shifting global travel patterns, economic headwinds and other structural constraints.

In reaction to the softer-than-expected performance, the central bank has revised downward the full-year foreign-arrival forecast to around 33 million, from earlier projections of 35 million.

Even so, that remains well below the near-40 million international visitors Thailand welcomed in 2019, before the pandemic disrupted global travel.

Analysts point out that the dip in tourist numbers comes despite ongoing efforts to revive the sector and stimulate demand.

The slump — the first annual drop since the pandemic — underlines structural challenges for the tourism industry, including changing traveler preferences, regional competition, and lingering economic uncertainty among major source markets.

Industry observers warn that unless Thailand adapts its strategy — for instance by targeting high-value tourists, promoting off-peak or niche travel segments, and improving service standards — the tourism downturn may continue to weigh on broader economic growth and on livelihoods that depend on visitor arrivals.

The coming high-season and holiday period will be critical in determining whether tourist flows can rebound or remain subdued.