Agoda, a digital travel platform, has unveiled key trends shaping the travel habits of Thais for the coming year. Across Asia, travelers are increasingly venturing abroad.

Ms. Akkaporn Rodkong, Agoda’s Director for Thailand and Indochina, noted that travel has become an integral part of daily life for Thais, moving well beyond the traditional "once-a-year" vacation model. Today’s travelers seek inspiration from trusted sources, technology that streamlines the planning process, and maximum value for every booking. Agoda is committed to meeting these needs—helping travelers discover fresh destinations beyond the usual hotspots, supporting local businesses and communities that welcome visitors, and ensuring that every trip is personalized, effortless, and highly cost-effective.

Four Travel Trends for Thais in 2027: Social Media as Inspiration, AI as a Planning Tool Thai travelers are more influenced by social media when choosing destinations than almost any other nationality in Asia. Two-thirds (67%) of Thai respondents indicated that social media impacts their decision-making—a figure significantly higher than the Asian average of 47% and second only to Indonesia (73%). Furthermore, nearly half of all Thai travelers (45%) utilize AI to assist with their travel arrangements, particularly for organizing their itineraries. While Thai travelers are open to using AI for tasks like selecting destinations or comparing hotels and flights, they prefer to retain control when it comes to the final booking stage; 59% would rather make their own hotel reservations than have an AI agent handle the process for them.

Trust will be a critical factor moving forward. Thai travelers are the most likely in Asia (30%) to state that they would have greater confidence in an AI assistant if it clearly disclosed the sources of its information. Regarding travel frequency, while many travelers across Asia plan to take fewer trips—with the majority (41%) planning only 1–3 trips next year—Thais are bucking this trend, emerging as the most frequent travelers in the region.

Nearly a quarter of Thai travelers (24%) plan to take 11 or more trips by 2027—an increase from 14% the previous year and double the Asian average (12%). Furthermore, 44% expect to take 7 or more trips, compared to 24% across Asia. Most of these journeys are short-term getaways, with 39% of Thais expecting each trip to last only 1–3 days, compared to 26% in the rest of Asia. Domestic travel remains a priority, with value serving as a key deciding factor. While over a third (38%) of travelers across Asia plan to focus primarily on international travel by 2027, the majority of Thais prefer to travel domestically; more than half (54%) expect to travel mainly within Thailand, while only 16% prioritize international destinations. Thailand ranks second in Asia—just behind Japan (65%)—in terms of the proportion of domestic travel among its population.

Value for money remains a key decision-making factor. More than 8 out of 10 Thais (84%) set their accommodation budget at no more than 3,300 THB per night, compared to an average of 73% across Asia. Furthermore, 66% of Thais—the highest proportion in Asia—prioritize special member discounts as a key benefit.

Thais are among the most adventurous travelers in Asia, showing a strong interest in exploring secondary cities and lesser-known destinations. By 2027, 44% of Thais are likely to visit new destinations, smaller towns, or less crowded locations—a figure higher than the Asian average of 36% and second only to travelers from India. The primary motivators for Thais to choose these "hidden gem" destinations are lower travel costs (31%), followed by special promotions or discounts (17%), and easy access to information, reviews, and travel support services (17%). In this last category, Thais place the highest importance among all surveyed nationalities—significantly above the Asian average of 10%.

This preference for domestic travel, combined with an interest in discovering new places, aligns with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) policy to promote domestic tourism and distribute visitor traffic to secondary cities—a goal supported by initiatives such as the proposed "Thai Tiew Thai Plus" (Thais Traveling in Thailand Plus) program. ...and plans for promoting domestic tourism in 2027.

You can view the survey results in the 2027 edition of *Asia Travel Pulse*. For those planning trips in 2027, Agoda offers a vast selection of over 6 million holiday accommodation options, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 travel activities—all of which can be booked together in a single transaction. Find the best deals easily via the Agoda app, or visit Agoda.com for more information.

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