The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has slashed its long-haul arrival forecast to 10 million this year, on par with last year, mainly attributed to the Middle East conflict.Chiravadee Khunsub, deputy governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said the agency 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%.
She said the long-haul market remains resilient, supported by an airline-focused strategy that has helped sustain momentum this year.
