Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the national tourism market performed exceptionally well during the 2026 Songkran Festival, with festival activities across the country exceeding expectations from April 11th to 15th. This year's Songkran Festival is projected to generate over 30.35 billion baht in tourism revenue, a 6% increase year-on-year, demonstrating the continued confidence of domestic and international tourists in Thai festival tourism and further solidifying the Songkran Festival's status as a world-class cultural event.
TAT Governor Thapane Kitapaporn stated that the outstanding results of the 2026 Songkran Festival fully demonstrate the global appeal of Thai culture and are inseparable from the collaborative efforts of the government, private sector, and community in elevating the festival's quality to international standards. In the future, Thailand will adhere to a value-oriented tourism development strategy, leveraging its cultural, traditional, culinary, and creative resources to highlight its local characteristics, continuously promoting the Thai festival brand globally, and vigorously developing sustainable, high-value tourism.
Bangkok, as the core city for the celebrations, saw consistently high visitor numbers in key areas such as Silom Road, Siam Square, and Khao San Road. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's flagship event, the "2026 Songkran World Water Festival," held at Bangkakitin Park from April 11th to 13th, attracted 108,640 visitors, including 56,368 domestic tourists and 52,272 international tourists, generating an estimated economic benefit of 283.68 million baht. Concurrently, the "2026 Songkran Arts Festival" held at Lumpinee Park attracted over 94,546 visitors, with activities particularly popular among young people, effectively stimulating on-site participation.
Thailand's provinces are also leveraging their unique resources to create differentiated festival experiences: Ayutthaya continues to be a popular destination thanks to its distinctive "Elephant Water Festival"; northern and northeastern provinces are deeply integrating water-splashing celebrations with traditional customs such as Buddhist water-splashing, cultural parades, and Rot Nam Dam Hua (water-sprinkling blessing ceremonies), enriching the cultural content while enhancing the festive atmosphere; and dedicated water-splashing themed streets in various regions attract large numbers of tourists, organically combining the festive atmosphere with community participation and providing tourists with an immersive cultural experience.
The tourism market in southern Thailand is also performing exceptionally well, with Songkhla province experiencing significant growth. From April 10th to 12th, over 36,000 tourists crossed the Sadao border, primarily from Malaysia. Local hotels maintained an average occupancy rate of approximately 80%, and the total number of inbound tourists during the festival is expected to reach 70,000, generating approximately 700 million baht in tourism revenue. Furthermore, southern border towns such as Betong in Yala province and Sukhait Kolok in Narathiwat province launched nighttime water-splashing themed activities, further enhancing the appeal of border cultural tourism and nighttime tourism brands.
Data shows that during the 2026 Songkran Festival (April 11-15), Thailand is expected to receive approximately 500,000 international tourists, a 4% increase year-on-year, generating 8.1 billion baht in international tourism revenue; and 5.96 million domestic tourists, a 7% increase year-on-year, generating 22.25 billion baht in domestic tourism revenue. Driven by the combined efforts of domestic and international tourism markets, the total tourism revenue for this year's Songkran Festival is expected to exceed 30.35 billion baht, a 6% increase year-on-year.
