This year’s Songkran Festival has delivered a much-needed jolt to Thailand’s tourism sector, with international arrivals and spending figures exceeding government projections while reaffirming the holiday’s status as a powerful engine of the kingdom’s economy.

Thailand soars past 10M tourists on Songkran travel

Bangkok streets filled with Songkran revelers, many arriving from abroad. Source: NBT Connext

Between April 6th to 12th, 2025, Thailand welcomed 666,180 international tourist arrivals, averaging 95,169 visitors per day — a 10.73% increase from the previous week. This surge was largely fueled by the Songkran holiday period, known for its nationwide water festivals and cultural celebrations.

According to government data, short-haul markets led the charge, with the top five countries of origin as follows:

1. Malaysia (102,106)
2. China (82,274)
3. India (55,158)
4. Russia (40,283)
5. United Kingdom (32,119)

Visitors from China and India alone saw week-on-week jumps of 28.20% and 23.56%, respectively, underscoring the appeal of the Songkran festival in major markets. This despite the renowned Coachella music festival being organized concurrently this year from April 11th–13th & 18th–20th in California, thus splitting the market. While British arrivals dipped slightly, down 8.49%, long-haul travelers from Europe grew, helped by spring school holidays in Germany and France.

In Bangkok, more than 550,000 people attended the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2025 celebrations organized at Sanam Luang, while Silom and Khao San roads drew approximately 170,000 and 197,000 revelers, respectively.

Left: Drone light show at the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2025. Right: Aerial shot of Bangkok’s Sanam Luang, adjacent to the Grand Palace. Source: NBT Connext

Other major locations included Chiang Mai, which recorded roughly 132,000 attendees for Pi Mai Mueang; Khon Kaen, which saw 50,000 first-day visitors; Nong Khai, which saw 42,000 event-goers; and Songkhla’s Hat Yai, which saw over 30,000 attendees from nearby Malaysia join the festivities.

From January 1st to April 13th, 2025, Thailand recorded 10.7 million foreign arrivals, generating over THB516 billion (~US$14 billion) in tourism revenue. So far, the top five countries of origin are:

1. China (1.47 million)
2. Malaysia (1.33 million)
3. Russia (801,000)
4. India (632,000)
5. South Korea (534,000)

Pro-tourism regulations and incentives

Parade floats making their way downtown as part of Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2025. Source: Sawasdee Thailand

Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the initial Songkran turnout exceeded expectations while projecting that monthly spending in April will surpass forecasts, driven by extended festivities and continued regional travel momentum.

As Thailand grapples with global and regional challenges, Songkran has become a litmus test for how the tourism industry and soft power initiatives can shore up the kingdom’s economic resilience.

Key support measures include:

• Streamlining immigration processes by suspending the TM.6 form for land and sea arrivals and replacing paper forms with the online Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
• Adding flights and offering discounts on domestic routes from Bangkok to popular destinations like Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Samui.
• Promotional campaigns, including those featuring Thai actress Pimchanok “Baifern” Luevisadpaibul as a cultural ambassador, targeting Chinese-speaking markets.
• Offering Grand Songkran Grand Privileges that feature exclusive discounts and special deals through various business partnerships

These initiatives aim not only to sustain arrival numbers, but also to raise per-capita spending by promoting responsible tourism and showcasing regional identities, from Thai textiles to local cuisine.

Songkran goes worldwide

H.E. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, chatting to H.E. Koumba Diop, Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Guinea to Malaysia, at Malaysia’s Premier Songkran Festival 2025. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A post-Songkran dip in arrivals is nevertheless expected as the festival concludes, while external economic risks loom large. Nonetheless, the government is pushing ahead with its Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025 campaign to maintain economic momentum in the creative, culture, and tourism sectors. 

Emphasizing the whole-of-government approach to the administration’s soft power agenda, Thai embassies around the globe organized Songkran events to share the Thai New Year and staples of Thai culture with the world.

With the national goal of welcoming 40 million foreign visitors in 2025 and generating three trillion baht in tourism revenue, the Songkran spike is seen as a promising start to what the government believes will be another landmark year.

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