Thailand: International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Thailand's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 68.8% on 2019 (from US$2.61 billion to US$816 million).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 19.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 42.7% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 68.8% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Thailand had the 15th highest value of the 123 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Thailand in the 2020 ranking

• Belgium — 12th of 123: US$893 million
• Ghana — 13th of 123: US$841 million
• Switzerland — 14th of 123: US$826 million
• Mexico — 16th of 123: US$811 million
• South Africa — 17th of 123: US$666 million
• Austria — 18th of 123: US$648 million

What this measures

International tourism expenditures for passenger transport items are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries for all services provided during international transportation by nonresident carriers. Also included are passenger services performed within an economy by nonresident carriers. Excluded are passenger services provided to nonresidents by resident carriers within the resident economies; these are included in travel items. In addition to the services covered by passenger fares--including fares that are a part of package tours but excluding cruise fares, which are included in travel--passenger services include such items as charges for excess baggage, vehicles, or other personal accompanying effects and expenditures for food, drink, or other items for which passengers make expenditures while on board carriers. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a gap-filled total.

All 26 values

International tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) in nearby economies

• Australia — US$1.17 billion (2020)
• Cambodia — US$44 million (2020)
• Fiji — US$2 million (2020)
• French Polynesia — US$74 million (2016)
• Indonesia — US$327 million (2020)
• Japan — US$1.29 billion (2020)
• Korea, Rep. — US$548 million (2020)
• Lao PDR — US$9 million (2020)

More private sector & trade data for Thailand

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 118.64% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$344.94 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$339.64 billion (2025)
• Agricultural raw materials imports (% of merchandise imports) — 1.16% (2025)
• Food imports (% of merchandise imports) — 6.11% (2025)
• Fuel imports (% of merchandise imports) — 12.47% (2025)
• Manufactures imports (% of merchandise imports) — 69.31% (2025)
• Ores and metals imports (% of merchandise imports) — 4.76% (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Thailand's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$)?

US$816 million in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is up 56.92% from US$520 million in 1995 (1.82% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$2.61 billion in 2019 and the lowest US$286 million in 1998.

How does Thailand rank?

15th highest of 123 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) unusual for Thailand?

In 2020, Thailand's international tourism, expenditures for passenger transport items (current US$) fell 68.8% on 2019 (from US$2.61 billion to US$816 million). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was +8.7% and a typical year strayed about 19.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator ST.INT.TRNX.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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