The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has slashed its long-haul arrival forecast to 10 million arrivals this year, on par with last year, mainly due to the Middle East conflict.
The agency's Chiravadee Khunsub said it initially projected 11 million long-haul arrivals, but cut the forecast after flight disruptions the past three months.
In 2025, the long-haul market rose by 10% to 10.8 million arrivals, generating 685 billion baht.
Mrs Chiravadee said while arrivals from the Middle East have fallen significantly, the European and American markets have remained stable.
As of June 7, Thailand welcomed 5 million long-haul tourists, down by 1.6% year-on-year, while the Middle East market plunged 32%.
The agency instructed its overseas offices to maintain marketing campaigns and direct flights between Thailand and source markets during the low season.
Beyond major cities, the TAT is also seeking direct flights from secondary cities, such as Lyon and Bordeaux in France.
The agency is also promoting long-haul transit hubs in countries such as Turkey via Turkish Airlines, targeting European tourists, and in North Asia via carriers such as Korean Air and Eva Air to attract those from the Americas.
The long-haul market is also less price-sensitive compared to the short-haul markets, as travellers are still willing to spend on a high-quality holiday in Thailand, even though competitors such as China and Vietnam offer cheaper packages for similar products.
Five-star hotels in Thailand typically cost around 7,000 baht per night, compared with roughly 3,000 baht in China and Vietnam.
Upcoming services include LOT Polish Airlines' Warsaw-Bangkok route from October and Scandinavian Airlines' winter flights to Krabi.
