Thai Hotels Group Sees Foreign Arrivals at About 33 Million in 2026

BANGKOK — Thailand’s hotel industry expects the number of foreign visitors to hold steady at around 33 million in 2026, despite economic uncertainty, weather disruptions and regional tensions, the Thai Hotels Association said.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the association, said hotel revenues grew in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the previous quarter, driven by an increase in long-haul travelers and government domestic tourism stimulus programs. Those measures, including the government-subsidized domestic tourism scheme and the government travel tax refund program, helped support revenues, particularly at four-star hotels and above.

He said overall hotel revenues in the second half of 2025 were expected to decline from the same period a year earlier, as several factors weighed on tourism. These included flooding in southern Thailand during the peak season, which hit coastal destinations, border-related tensions and global economic volatility.

Hotels along the Pattaya beach in Chonburi province.

Exchange-rate fluctuations have also raised living costs and could curb visitor spending, making tourists more cautious, Thienprasit said.

“The public and private sectors need to urgently adjust tourism promotion plans to cope with these risks and challenges,” he said. While the share of hotels facing labor shortages in November was unchanged from the previous month, shortages increased in central and southern Thailand, affecting service quality in many cases.

Hotel operators are seeking additional government support, including stronger tourism and revenue stimulus measures, expanded marketing efforts and steps to address what they describe as Thailand’s negative image abroad. They are also calling for cost-relief measures such as lower energy prices and tax reductions, including cuts to corporate income, personal income and property taxes.

Tourists board a passenger ferry between Koh Chang and Koh Kood in Trat Province before the outbreak of the new round of Thai-Cambodian border clashes that began on Dec. 7, 2025.

Other proposals include low-interest loans to help hotels renovate properties damaged by flooding or affected by unrest along the Thai-Cambodian border, as well as labor measures to stabilize the migrant worker registration system. Operators have also urged faster infrastructure development, particularly at airports, and streamlined permitting procedures to reduce reliance on paper-based documentation.

Thienprasit said operators remain optimistic about the current high season, citing a long stretch of public holidays and continued government efforts to promote long-haul markets. Domestic travel has also been supported by government programs, while increased flight frequencies and year-end and New Year celebrations are expected to draw both Thai and foreign visitors.

Average hotel occupancy nationwide rose across all regions and star categories in November 2025, in line with the high season, reaching an average of 76%, up from both the previous month and a year earlier, the association said. Occupancy in December is forecast to edge up to 77%.

More than half of hotel operators expect foreign arrivals in 2026 to be similar to 2025 levels, at about 33 million, with little change year on year, Thienprasit said.

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