Visa waivers, luxury hotels and a hit TV show: Why Thailand is the top travel destination for 2025

White Lotus Effect: How a hit TV show is turning Thailand into 2025’s must-visit destination.

Thailand saw foreign tourist arrivals jump 26% last year after the tourism-reliant nation eased entry rules and waived visas for Chinese, the largest group of visitors to the Southeast Asian country.

Tourists ride elephants on a beach on Thailand's island of Koh Chang. Thailand’s tourism is back—and bigger than ever! Here’s what’s next.(Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP)

An estimated 35.5 million tourists visited Thailand last year, up from 28.2 million in 2023, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. They spent about 1.67 trillion baht ($48 billion), up 34% from a year ago, The Nation reported.

While the tally missed the ministry’s target of welcoming 36.7 million tourists, it was close to Bank of Thailand’s prediction of 36 million. The country had set a record for tourist arrivals and revenue generation a year before the pandemic in 2019, with almost 40 million visitors and $60 billion in tourism revenue.

Thailand expects the recovery in tourism to sustain this year following relaxation in visa rules for a number of countries and longer stays per visit. The third season of hit television series The White Lotus — set to air in early 2025 and featuring Thai luxury hotels — is expected to draw in more visitors with the legalization of same-sex marriage being an added attraction for LGBTQ travelers.

The government expects arrivals to jump to a record 40 million this year and along with about 200 million domestic trips to generate 2.8 trillion baht in revenue. The sector accounts for about 12% of the country’s gross domestic product and nearly a fifth of jobs.

Chinese tourist arrivals totaled 6.7 million last year, about 60% of the pre-pandemic record of 11.1 million in 2019. The two countries signed a permanent visa waiver accord last year to encourage more cross-border travels.

Tourist arrivals from Thailand’s other major destinations such as Europe, India and Russia have already exceeded the pre-Covid levels, according to official data.