Malaysia overtakes China as top source of tourists to Thailand amid trade war woes
BANGKOK, April 10 — Malaysia has overtaken China as the leading source of tourists to Thailand, as Chinese arrivals dip in the face of global economic uncertainty, The Bangkok Post reported today.
Figures from Thailand's Tourism and Sports Ministry show that from March 31 to April 6, 92,262 Malaysian tourists entered the country — a 12.8 per cent increase from the previous week. In contrast, arrivals from China fell by 1.2 per cent to 64,177.
The report added that despite China still holding the lead in total arrivals this year with 1.38 million visitors, Malaysia is rapidly catching up with 1.23 million, narrowing the gap significantly.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool attributed the slowdown in Chinese arrivals to wider global headwinds, including economic pressures linked to the US-China trade conflict.
The Bangkok Post also said as of April 6, total international tourist arrivals to Thailand stood at 10 million — an increase of 1.79 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, long-haul markets such as Italy and Spain are gaining traction, with traditional markets like the United Kingdom, Germany and Israel continuing to perform steadily.
Russia and India are expected to send two million and up to 2.5 million tourists respectively in 2025.
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