Thailand tourism surges in 2024, same-sex marriage legalisation expected to drive growth in 2025
Thailand welcomed an estimated 35.5 million foreign tourists in 2024, marking a 26% increase from the 28.2 million visitors recorded in 2023.
The surge followed the government's easing of entry rules and a visa waiver programme targeting Chinese nationals, who represent the country's largest group of international visitors.
According to provisional data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, tourists spent approximately 1.67 trillion baht ($48 billion) last year, a 34% rise compared to 2023. The growth highlights the sector's recovery, though it remains shy of the 2019 pre-pandemic record of nearly 40 million arrivals and $60 billion in revenue.
The Thai government expects this recovery to continue into 2025, supported by further relaxed visa rules for additional countries and longer permitted stays. The upcoming third season of the hit TV series The White Lotus, set in Thai luxury hotels, and the recent legalisation of same-sex marriage are also anticipated to boost tourist interest, particularly among LGBTQ travellers.
Chinese arrivals totalled 6.7 million in 2024, recovering to about 60% of the pre-pandemic peak of 11.1 million in 2019. A permanent visa waiver agreement between Thailand and China, signed last year, is expected to sustain this upward trend.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Southeast Asian destination Vietnam reported 17.58 million foreign tourists in 2024—a 39.5% increase year-on-year. This figure represents 97.6% of Vietnam's pre-pandemic levels but remains significantly lower than Thailand's total.
South Korea emerged as Vietnam’s top source of visitors, contributing 4.5 million arrivals, a 27% increase compared to 2023. Other key markets included mainland China (3.73 million visitors), Taiwan (1.28 million), the United States (779,000), and Japan (711,000), according to Vietnam's General Statistics Office.
