BANGKOK — Thailand’s tourism sector is riding high as the combination of peak travel season and major entertainment events, including BLACKPINK’s world tour, drew nearly 600,000 international visitors in just one week, pushing total tourism revenue for the year past 1.2 trillion baht ($37 billion USD).
Nattariya Thaweewong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, reported that between January 1 and October 26, 2025, Thailand has welcomed over 26 million foreign tourists. Last week alone saw a significant spike driven by the high season arrival of long-haul travelers and international fans attending major concerts.
Russian tourists led the surge with a 31% increase from the previous week. The influx was further boosted by Indian travelers following the Diwali festival and massive crowds of Chinese and international fans attending the BLACKPINK Deadline World Tour in Bangkok 2025 and the ZeeNuNew Crazy In Love Concert.
Foreign arrivals totaled 592,196 for the week, up 35,461 visitors or 6.37% from the previous week, with daily arrivals averaging 84,599. Malaysia remained the top source market with 90,855 visitors, followed by China (74,421), India (54,877), Russia (38,749), and South Korea (25,307).
India posted the sharpest growth at 31.3%, followed by Russia at 30.55% and China at 12.2%. However, arrivals from Malaysia and South Korea dropped 13.45% and 2.38% respectively compared to the previous week.
Looking ahead, tourism officials expect steady arrivals supported by the ongoing high season for long-haul markets, government “ease of traveling” measures including visa exemptions and TM.6 card waivers, and increased flight frequencies.
As of October 27, Thailand’s cumulative tourism revenue has reached approximately 1.21 trillion baht ($37 billion USD), underscoring the sector’s robust recovery and the drawing power of world-class entertainment events.
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