Thailand Records Significant Growth in Tourist Numbers for Final Week of 2024

According to Finansia Syrus Securities, tourist numbers in the 52nd week of 2024 (23-29 December) showed a notable increase of 6% week-on-week (w-w) and a 19% rise year-on-year (y-y), averaging 135,000 visitors per day. This marks the highest weekly figure since the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, aligning closely with pre-COVID statistics.

Chinese tourists ranked as the second-largest group during the period, with an average of 17,000 visitors per day, showing an 8% decrease week-on-week but a 20% increase year-on-year. This represents a recovery of approximately 60-65% of pre-COVID numbers. Malaysian tourists led the visitor counts for the week.

Non-Chinese tourist numbers grew by 19% year-on-year, surpassing pre-COVID levels by about 10%, reaching 117,000 visitors per day, the highest since the pandemic subsided. Notably, tourists from Russia and Malaysia experienced increases of 17% w-w and 8% w-w, respectively.

In December overall, Thailand welcomed 3.6 million tourists, reflecting a 92% recovery to pre-COVID levels. Chinese tourist figures represent a 63% recovery to pre-COVID numbers.

For the year 2024, total tourist numbers are projected to be 35.5 million, outperforming Finansia Syrus Securities’ expectations by 2%, representing an 89% recovery to pre-COVID conditions. Chinese tourists are expected to recover to 61% of pre-COVID levels, while non-Chinese tourists are forecasted to achieve a full 100% recovery. The standout markets include Malaysia, India, and Russia, with tourist numbers exceeding pre-COVID levels by 18%, 7%, and 18%, respectively.