Vietnamese visitors decreased sharply, Malaysia increased

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand (MOTS), the number of international visitors to the country in the first 11 months of the year reached 29.6 million, down 7% compared to the same period in 2024. Vietnam is in the group of two Southeast Asian countries with the “strongest decline” in tourist arrivals, with more than 600,000 arrivals, 33% lower than last year’s nearly one million arrivals. Cambodia recorded the deepest decrease in the region with nearly 50%, while the remaining markets decreased from 10% to 20%.

Comparing the number of Vietnamese visitors to Thailand each month in 2024 and 2025, only in January this year the number of visitors increased more than last year, with nearly 10%. From February to November, this market continuously recorded negative growth. In particular, the 4 peak summer months from May to August recorded the “deepest” decrease, reaching only 50,000-60,000 visitors per month. This number is significantly lower than the level of 100,000-110,000 arrivals in the same period in 2024.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is currently the sixth largest market sending tourists to Thailand, behind Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Experts from SCMP newspaper said that the Thai tourism industry is facing challenges from floods, border instability and the increase in value of the baht. Thailand’s local currency has increased more than 8% against the dollar this year, increasing service costs, causing this destination to lose its advantage in the low-cost travel segment. In May, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had to adjust the target for welcoming visitors for the whole year from 37 million to 35 million, equivalent to the implementation level of 2024.

Thailand is a traditional tour market, loved by many Vietnamese tourists thanks to its affordable prices, many direct flights, similar cuisine, short flight times, and open visa policy.

On the contrary, Thailand is one of the markets sending the most visitors to Vietnam, in the top 11 with more than 415,000 arrivals in 11 months of 2025, according to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration.