Kasikorn Research Center reports that Thai domestic tourism in the first half of 2025 expanded at a slower pace, recording a total of approximately 101 million trips—up 2.3% year-on-year. Domestic tourism revenue reached THB 574.43 billion, representing a 3.5% increase over the same period last year.
Key negative factors weighing on the market included earthquakes in certain areas, sluggish recovery in consumer purchasing power for some segments, and a rising trend of outbound travel among Thais.
Some major provinces witnessed declining domestic travel numbers from Thai tourists, notably Bangkok, Krabi, Ayutthaya, and Chanthaburi.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Kasikorn Research forecasts continued domestic travel growth, albeit at a moderating rate of 1.4% year-on-year.
Supportive factors include pent-up travel demand and government stimulus programs such as “Half-Price Thailand Travel” which offers accommodation discounts and digital coupons for designated merchants. However, domestic tourism still faces headwinds from a potentially slowing economy, political uncertainty, and volatile weather conditions.
The outbound travel trend is being driven by visa waivers and budget travel packages, such as four-day, two-night trips to South Korea starting at approximately THB 6,000, and Vietnam trips averaging THB 7,000. These offer attractive value compared to domestic travel, prompting some Thais to weigh their options.
For the full year 2025, Kasikorn Research projects total domestic trips by Thais at 205 million, a 2.2% increase from the previous year. Growth distribution will remain uneven across destinations, as “secondary cities” or “hidden gem” destinations are gaining popularity. This is attributable to travelers seeking to avoid crowds, discover new experiences, and taking cues from social media reviews and religious tourism.
Kasikorn Research notes that the share of domestic travel to secondary cities could rise to 41.4% this year, compared to only 32.3% in 2019 (pre-COVID-19). Several secondary provinces surpassed two million visitors, including Suphanburi, Chiang Rai, Samut Songkhram, and Ubon Ratchathani—higher than some primary tourism provinces like Songkhla or Phang Nga.
However, revenue from secondary cities constituted just 28% of overall domestic tourism income, while main destinations still accounted for a hefty 72% share.
In terms of spending, Kasikorn Research estimates that Thais will spend a total of THB 1.14 trillion on domestic travel in 2025, up 2% year-on-year, with average spending per person per trip at about THB 4,100—still below pre-pandemic levels. This reflects changing traveler behavior, particularly the prevalence of single-day return trips, which made up as much as 51% of all domestic travel.
For secondary cities, the average spend per trip stood at only THB 2,800 per person, well below the THB 5,000 average in key destinations—primarily due to lower prices for accommodation, food, and souvenirs. Four-star hotel rates in secondary cities average THB 1,850 per night, compared to around THB 3,500 in primary cities such as Bangkok or Phuket.
