Thailand eyes Saudi, Chinese and CIS tourist markets for 2025-26 growth
Thailand’s Tourism Ministry is ramping up efforts to attract high-spending tourists from emerging markets for the remainder of 2025, focusing on Saudi Arabia, China and several countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a group of former Soviet republics.
Tourism and Sports Minister Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to open a new office in Riyadh soon to tap into the rising number of Saudi travellers. Since restoring diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, Thai tourism has seen a surge in visitors from the kingdom.
In 2024, 228,032 Saudi tourists visited Thailand, a 28% increase from the previous year. Despite the impact of the Iran-Israel war, numbers are still expected to grow by 8% this year.
Saudi visitors have now overtaken those from the United Arab Emirates, who numbered 169,927 in 2024, up 22.3% from the year before. Saudi travellers stay for an average of two weeks and spend around 110,000 baht per person, the highest spending rate among all foreign markets.
Popular activities include shopping, beach holidays, and medical tourism. Many are also choosing destinations beyond Bangkok and Phuket, such as Samui, Krabi and Phang Nga. A growing number are visiting during the rainy season to escape the extreme heat in the Middle East.
Atthakorn said he will meet with Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister in December to further strengthen ties. Saudi Arabia has shown interest in Thai training for hotel and hospitality management, as it looks to improve service standards while building up its tourism sector to rival Dubai. The country will also host the World Expo in 2030.
High spending markets
Thailand sees Saudi Arabia as a market with high growth potential, along with other Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. While tourist numbers from these nations remain modest, they tend to be high spenders.
The Ministry of Tourism is also continuing to push for a recovery in Chinese arrivals, targeting 2 to 3 million visitors from October 2025 to January 2026. Chinese arrivals have picked up after a slow start to the year, but Thailand faces increasing competition from countries like Japan and Vietnam. Japan’s weak yen is drawing more Chinese tourists, while Vietnam’s lower travel costs offer a competitive edge. China is also focusing on boosting domestic tourism.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said current Chinese arrivals are over 10,000 per day. The goal is to increase this to 20,000 daily between December and February. Airfare prices from China to Thailand have jumped 20 to 30%, which is seen as a sign of rising demand.
Thapanee said Chinese arrivals are still down around 30% compared to last year, but numbers are expected to recover to between 8 and 9 million in 2026, roughly 80% of the pre-Covid peak of 11 million.
The Nation reported that the TAT is also monitoring other fast-growing markets. From January 1 to November 9 this year, 349,000 Israelis travelled to Thailand, up 50% year on year, with many seeking a break from the ongoing conflict. The agency is working to reduce culture shock issues by improving cultural awareness among tourists.
In the CIS region, visitor numbers are rising from countries including Uzbekistan, Belarus, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. Although the base numbers remain small, the growth has been significant, with arrivals from Azerbaijan alone up 128% to about 5,000 people. These travellers generally prefer longer stays. Visitor numbers may increase further if visa exemptions are introduced.
The only CIS market in decline is Kazakhstan, which has seen arrivals fall by 10% to 134,000 this year. Many Kazakh tourists are switching to cheaper destinations such as Vietnam. In response, TAT is shifting its promotions to highlight alternatives to Phuket, such as Phang Nga, Krabi and Hua Hin.
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