Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand
Thailand: Arrivals of tourists from abroad was 511,000 arrivals in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand, 1995–2021
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in arrivals.
Analysis
In 2021, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand stood at 511,000 arrivals. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 92.4% on the previous year and down 97.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand peaked at 39.92 million arrivals in 2019 and was at its lowest, 511,000 arrivals, in 2021.
That places Thailand 124th out of 203 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand, year by year
| Year | arrivals | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 6.95 million arrivals | — |
| 1996 | 7.24 million arrivals | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 7.29 million arrivals | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 7.84 million arrivals | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 8.65 million arrivals | +10.3% |
| 2000 | 9.58 million arrivals | +10.7% |
| 2001 | 10.13 million arrivals | +5.8% |
| 2002 | 10.87 million arrivals | +7.3% |
| 2003 | 10.08 million arrivals | -7.3% |
| 2004 | 11.74 million arrivals | +16.4% |
| 2005 | 11.57 million arrivals | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 13.82 million arrivals | +19.5% |
| 2007 | 14.46 million arrivals | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 14.58 million arrivals | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 14.15 million arrivals | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 15.94 million arrivals | +12.6% |
| 2011 | 19.23 million arrivals | +20.7% |
| 2012 | 22.35 million arrivals | +16.2% |
| 2013 | 26.55 million arrivals | +18.8% |
| 2014 | 24.81 million arrivals | -6.5% |
| 2015 | 29.92 million arrivals | +20.6% |
| 2016 | 32.53 million arrivals | +8.7% |
| 2017 | 35.59 million arrivals | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 38.18 million arrivals | +7.3% |
| 2019 | 39.92 million arrivals | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 6.72 million arrivals | -83.2% |
| 2021 | 511,000 arrivals | -92.4% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 511,000 arrivals is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.49 million arrivals, 34% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 511,000 arrivals is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 727,000 arrivals, 70% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | -92.4% | 6.72 million arrivals | 511,000 arrivals |
| 2020 | -83.2% | 39.92 million arrivals | 6.72 million arrivals |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.60 million arrivals | 6.95 million arrivals | 8.65 million arrivals | 5 |
| 2000s | 12.10 million arrivals | 9.58 million arrivals | 14.58 million arrivals | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.50 million arrivals | 15.94 million arrivals | 39.92 million arrivals | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.62 million arrivals | 511,000 arrivals | 6.72 million arrivals | 2 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More reference data data for Thailand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.58 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 65.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.92 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand?
- Arrivals of tourists from abroad in Thailand was 511,000 arrivals in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 39.92 million arrivals in 2019.
- What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 511,000 arrivals in 2021.
- How does Thailand rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad?
- Thailand ranks 124th out of 203 countries with data for 2021.
- Is arrivals of tourists from abroad rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 97.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Thailand data come from?
- The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight.