Thailand had 2,265,000 foreign arrivals in October 2026, according to preliminary figures the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) published on 2 November 2026. That is 12.0% fewer than the 2,573,743 of October 2025, a net fall of 308,743. From January to October, arrivals were 25,464,306 against 26,689,068, down 4.6%.
The fall came mostly from four markets: Malaysia, South Korea, China and India. China grew in September and fell in October. MOTS gives no reason for any of these changes.
October fell faster than September
October’s 12.0% is the steepest percentage fall of any month in 2026 so far. January fell 11.6% and September 10.5%. In absolute numbers January lost more, 431,194 arrivals against October’s 308,743. September and October are both more than 10% below 2025. Seven of the ten months were below 2025. February, March and May were above.
Four markets make up about 71% of the fall
Malaysia lost the most. It fell to 276,157 from 378,143, down 27.0%. South Korea fell 38.8% to 83,419, China 13.6% to 308,942, and India 7.9% to 196,980. Together these four lost 220,330 arrivals, about 71% of the net fall, calculated from the MOTS figures. Singapore fell 17.6% to 63,554 and Indonesia 21.3% to 39,406. Russia was almost flat at 143,638, down 1.5%.
China is the change from September. It was up 8.7% in September, at 349,182 against 321,309, and is down 13.6% in October. For January to October it is still up 12.4%, at 4,244,376. Malaysia is down 16.3% for the ten months, South Korea 26.9% and Indonesia 22.8%.
Calculated from the MOTS figures, the markets that fell lost 329,950 arrivals together, and the markets that rose gained only 21,207, led by Kazakhstan (up 47.7% to 14,127), the U.A.E., Laos and Oman. By MOTS’s own regional groupings, Asia and the Pacific, which includes Oceania, fell 15.6% to 1,508,019. Europe fell 4.1% and America 7.3%. The Middle East was the only region up, by 9.4%.
Nine of the ten top condo-buying nationalities had fewer arrivals
On 11 September 2026 the Real Estate Information Center (REIC) of the Government Housing Bank ranked the ten nationalities with the highest foreign condominium transfer value in Thailand in the first half of 2026. China led with ฿6,874 million for 1,813 units, then Russia, Myanmar, the United States, Taiwan, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and India. All foreign transfers were worth ฿28,267 million, down 1.5%, for 6,533 units, down 8.8%.
In October, nine of these ten had fewer arrivals than a year earlier. Australia was the only one above 2025, by 0.5%. China, at 13.6%, and Myanmar, at 13.2%, fell the most. The United States, Russia and the United Kingdom fell by 2.2% or less.
Over ten months the picture is calmer. China is up 12.4%, Taiwan 6.7%, Myanmar 6.5% and the United States 0.9%. France is unchanged to the nearest tenth. The United Kingdom is down 3.4%, India 3.0%, Germany 2.9%, Australia 0.7% and Russia 0.3%.
These are two separate datasets. Arrivals count visitors of every purpose, not property buyers, and REIC’s ranking covers condo transfers across Thailand, not Phuket.
What it may mean for Phuket property
For a condo or villa owner who rents out, demand depends on who arrives. In October, fewer people came to Thailand from Malaysia, South Korea, China and India, and from nine of the ten nationalities with the highest foreign condo transfer value. The national count does not show what happened in Phuket.
MOTS has not yet published Phuket’s October figures, and its Phuket release has no split by nationality. The latest release, of 13 October 2026, covers September. Phuket occupancy was 66.32% against 65.84% a year earlier, and foreign visitors fell 1.34% to 812,970. From January to September, foreign visitors fell 2.40% to 7,603,263. More detail is in Phuket occupancy in September.
The October count is preliminary, and MOTS may revise it. It revised its June count in an earlier release.
Related guides
For rental income, see Rental yields in Phuket — what investors actually earn. To weigh a condo against a villa, read Phuket villa investment returns compared with condos. For how rental pools work, see Rental pool and guaranteed return programs in Phuket — how they actually work.
