The tourism authority reckons foreign arrivals combined with local travellers will mark a surge in earnings from 2 trillion to 3 trillion baht

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on Monday outlined its targets for 2025, saying the aim is to attract at least 38 million arrivals, though the eventual goal is 40 million.

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said a greater focus is on tourists from Asia, with a target of around 29 million, while long-haul markets like Europe and the Americas should contribute about 11 million tourists. The total revenue generated is expected to be approximately 2 trillion baht. 

Domestically, the target has been set at 200-220 million trips, generating about 1 trillion baht in revenue. When combined, Thailand’s total tourism revenue should add up to about 3 trillion baht, marking a significant increase from 2024, when 35.54 million foreign arrivals generated 2 trillion baht in revenue. 

This year, the fastest-growing markets are expected to be India, with between 2.3 and 2.5 million tourists, and South Korea with 2 to 2.5 million tourists. Arrivals from Malaysia are also expected to grow to 5.5 million, while Russian tourists are projected to hit 1.92 million. 

TAT also hopes for a 10% growth in all ASEAN markets, and expects to attract 7.3 to 8 million Chinese tourists. 

India, Russia, South Korea and Malaysia still account for the highest arrivals in Thailand, though Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan have both shown good growth potential, with TAT expecting them to exceed 20% this year. 

TAT will also focus on promoting secondary cities across various new tourist markets, such as smaller cities in China. 

Linking up cities will also align with efforts to promote ASEAN connectivity under the “One Destination” concept. For instance, partnering with Indonesia will result in the resumption of Medan-Hat Yai flights, while collaborating with Singapore will enhance cruise tourism. 

Thailand is also collaborating with Malaysia to link Songkhla’s Sadao district with Padang Besar across the border by rail, as well as promoting Johor Bahru with Bangkok by air. Efforts are also being made to promote yacht, cruise and mini-cruise tourism along the Langkawi-Satun-Lipe route, with plans to extend connections to Koh Lanta. 

TAT also plans to showcase Thailand’s smaller cities by displaying their local produce at global events, such as the ITB Berlin exhibition in March. 

The authority will also apply Thailand’s “soft power” and unique charm to promote travel across all five regions of the country, underlining the “5 Must-Do’s in Thailand” – must taste, must try, must buy, must seek and must see. TATs’ goal is to retain existing customers, attract new ones and increase the frequency of flights as well as improve routes to bring more tourists to the country. 

Challenges, however, remain this year, including global economic and geopolitical conflicts. Plus, the social media in China has been buzzing with reports of Chinese actor Wang Xing being deceived and abducted by a call-centre gang in Myanmar. This resulted in some 10,000 Chinese tourists cancelling their bookings in Thailand.