Vietnam counted 19.5 million visitors in ten months (+13.8%) while Thailand fell 4.59% to 25.46 million, cutting Thailand's lead from about 9.5 million to 5.9 million, by our calculation.
Cover image: Hoi An's Japanese Covered Bridge lit up at night, Vietnam (December 2024 file photo) — photo by Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Vietnam is closing in on Thailand. It welcomed 19.5 million international visitors in the first ten months of 2026, up 13.8 per cent, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) said. Thailand's foreign tourist arrivals fell 4.59 per cent to 25.46 million from 1 January to 31 October, according to Tourism Ministry figures reported by Reuters on 2 November. On the Vietnam vs Thailand tourist arrivals count for 2026, Thailand's lead has shrunk to about 5.9 million from about 9.5 million a year earlier, by our calculation from each country's official count.
Europe is driving Vietnam; Thailand is losing Malaysians and South Koreans faster than China adds visitors. Indonesia grew 5.01 per cent to 12.01 million in January to September, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said.
Vietnam vs Thailand tourist arrivals 2026: how big is the gap?
One caveat: Vietnam's National Statistics Office (NSO), which reports the same total, adds up monthly counts and dates October's 26 September to 25 October, so Vietnam's ten months end six days before Thailand's. Against Thailand's 24.93 million to 24 October (Kaohoon International), the gap is about 5.4 million, down from about 8.9 million a year earlier.
Either way, it has narrowed by 3.5 million to 3.6 million in a year.
| Measure | Vietnam | Thailand | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Ten months to 25 Oct | 1 Jan to 31 Oct | Jan to Sep |
| 2026 count | 19.54m | 25.46m | 12.01m |
| Change on 2025 | +13.8% | −4.59% | +5.01% |
| 2025, same period (our calculation) | about 17.17m | about 26.68m | about 11.44m |
| Largest market | China, nearly 4.4m | China, 4.19m (to 24 Oct) | Malaysia, 16.76% of September |
| South Korea | 3.4m, −6.3% | 912,597 (to 24 Oct) | n/a |
2025 figures: our calculation, 2026 count ÷ (1 + reported change).
Which markets are driving Vietnam's growth?
Europe. European arrivals rose 51.5 per cent to 3.22 million, the largest contribution to growth, VNAT said. By our calculation Europe supplied about 1.1 million of Vietnam's 2.37 million extra visitors, including about 750,000 from Russia (up 150 per cent to 1.25 million).
Asia still provides nearly three in four visitors, with China the largest market at nearly 4.4 million. South Korea, second, fell 6.3 per cent to 3.4 million.
Growth is cooling. The NSO counted 1.85 million in its October period, up 7.0 per cent, against the 14.4 per cent eight-month rate we reported after Vietnam's record August. Air arrivals rose 11.5 per cent to 16.25 million in ten months.
Vietnam needs about 5.5 million more to hit its 25 million target, by our calculation.
Why are Thailand's tourist arrivals falling in 2026?
Short-haul markets. In January to September, Malaysian arrivals fell 15.19 per cent and South Korean 25.43 per cent while Chinese rose 15.16 per cent, ministry data in The Nation show. By our calculation the Malaysian and Korean losses (about 820,000 visitors) outweighed China's gain of about 520,000.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool cited a stronger baht: travellers "have alternative destinations that are less affected by exchange rates and cheaper to visit". She also tied some weakness in India to the 15 September visa-exemption change (30 days for 60 countries, down from 60 days for 93).
Long-haul is steadier: arrivals rose 12.03 per cent week on week in the week to 24 October, helped by school breaks, Kaohoon reported. Russia was flat in January to September; Vietnam's Russian arrivals more than doubled.
TAT aims for about 33 million this year, or at least 2025's 32.97 million. Matching 2025 needs about 7.5 million in November and December, against about 6.3 million a year earlier, by our calculation. Thai hotel closures rose 42 per cent in January to September.
What does it mean for tour operators, DMCs and airlines?
For the trade, Europe, Russia above all, supplied nearly half of Vietnam's extra visitors; in Thailand, China was the only top-five market to grow in January to September. Mainland Chinese arrivals to South Korea rose 29.2 per cent over those months, and Korea passed its 2025 record of 18.94 million visitors on 27 October, by ministry estimate.
Korea matters far more to Vietnam: Koreans are about 17 per cent of its arrivals, against under 4 per cent of Thailand's, by our calculation.
Indonesia is a yield story: spend per visit reached US$1,374.48 in the third quarter, above a year earlier, with 11.01-night average stays, BPS said. Malaysia, Australia and China led in September, as in Indonesia's January to July count.
Frequently asked questions
How many international tourists visited Vietnam in 2026?
Vietnam welcomed 19.5 million international visitors in the first ten months of 2026, up 13.8 per cent year on year, according to VNAT, or about 78 per cent of its 25 million target.
Are Thailand's tourist arrivals down in 2026?
Yes. Thailand counted 25.46 million foreign tourist arrivals from 1 January to 31 October 2026, down 4.59 per cent, according to ministry figures reported by Reuters. Chinese arrivals grew, but Malaysian and South Korean arrivals fell sharply, and the tourism authority cites a stronger baht.
Has Vietnam overtaken Thailand in tourist arrivals?
No. On each country's official count, Thailand received about 5.9 million more visitors than Vietnam in January to October 2026, by our calculation, down from about 9.5 million a year earlier. Against Thailand's count to 24 October, nearer Vietnam's cut-off, it is about 5.4 million.
How many foreign tourists visited Indonesia in 2026?
Indonesia recorded 12.01 million foreign visits from January to September 2026, up 5.01 per cent and the best result for that period since 2020, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS). September brought 1,427,114 visits, and average spending per visit rose to US$1,374.48 in the third quarter.
Sources
- VietnamPlus (VNA), Vietnam serves 19.5 million foreign tourists in 10 months
- NSO Viet Nam, October 2026 socio-economic report (Vietnamese)
- NSO Viet Nam, October 2026 infographic
- The Star (Reuters), Thailand's arrivals down 4.59% so far in 2026
- Kaohoon International, Thailand records 25 million arrivals in 10M26
- The Nation, TAT turns to events for 33m foreign tourists
- Korea.net, International visitors smash annual mark early
- InfoPublik, Indonesia foreign visits reach 12.01 million (Indonesian)
