BANGKOK — Thailand’s tourism industry recorded a significant surge last week, welcoming nearly 600,000 international visitors, as the peak travel season coincided with high-profile entertainment events including BLACKPINK’s 2025 world tour. The influx pushed cumulative tourism revenue for 2025 past 1.2 trillion baht ($37 billion USD), reflecting a strong rebound for the sector.
According to Nattariya Thaweewong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, over 26 million foreign tourists have visited Thailand between January 1 and October 26, 2025. The previous week alone saw 592,196 arrivals, up 6.37% from the prior week, driven largely by long-haul travelers and international fans attending major concerts.
The increase was led by Russian tourists, whose arrivals jumped 31% week-on-week, followed closely by Indian visitors arriving after the Diwali festival. China and other international markets also contributed to the spike, particularly fans attending the BLACKPINK Deadline World Tour in Bangkok and the ZeeNuNew Crazy In Love Concert. Daily arrivals averaged 84,599 during the week.
Malaysia remained the top source market with 90,855 visitors, followed by China (74,421), India (54,877), Russia (38,749), and South Korea (25,307). India recorded the highest week-on-week growth at 31.3%, followed by Russia at 30.55% and China at 12.2%, while arrivals from Malaysia and South Korea fell by 13.45% and 2.38%, respectively.
Officials forecast continued steady arrivals, supported by high season demand from long-haul markets, government measures easing travel requirements such as visa exemptions and TM.6 card waivers, and increased flight capacities. As of October 27, total tourism revenue for the year has reached roughly 1.21 trillion baht ($37 billion USD), highlighting the sector’s recovery and the drawing power of Thailand’s world-class entertainment events.
The tourism surge was highlighted by major industry and government officials, who emphasized the role of global entertainment events in attracting international visitors and strengthening Thailand’s tourism economy.