Thailand sees 30% surge in India flights, making it second-largest market after China

India was the only country (apart from China) this summer that had on offer more around 2.2 million seats.

According to data released by a global research agency, India has become the second-largest international market for airline passengers for Thailand in the summer of 2025 (June and July), based on the number of seats, reported Economics Times.

During the summer of pre-Covid-2019, India was Thailand's sixth-largest international airlines market, but it has now left behind Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia to become the second-largest, behind China.

The significant growth in travel from India has helped Thailand mitigate the sharp decline in international travel between China and the kingdom, providing crucial support to a country that heavily depends on tourism.

As pert the report, international travel between Thailand and China has decreased from a peak of 7.4 million seats in the summer of 2019 to just over 4.1 million seats this summer. This figure also reflects a drop of 20 per cent compared to the summer of 2024.

In contrast, countries like Vietnam experienced a more modest growth rate of 21 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), while Japan and Taiwan recorded increases in single digits. Additionally, seat capacity fell this summer for Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea compared to last year.

Notably, India was the only major country (besides China) this summer to offer around 2.2 million seats to Thailand, far surpassing other key markets.

This summer, passenger seating between Thailand and India grew by more than 30 per cent compared to the summer of 2024. Meanwhile, Japan's total seat capacity remains 27 per cent lower than pre-COVID levels in 2019, and Vietnam's is down by 4 per cent this summer, whereas India has risen by approximately 25 per cent.

OAG attributes the increase in travel from India to Thailand to three main factors: First, Thailand's liberal visa-free policy for Indians, which simplifies and reduces travel costs.

Second, the expanding middle class in India, eager to travel abroad for nearby holidays, finds Thailand to be an ideal destination. Finally, there are aggressive promotional efforts as part of the 2025 ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.

The surge in Indian travellers has significantly benefited Thailand. According to OAG, the decline in Thailand-China routes accounted for around 1 million fewer seats this summer compared to the summer of 2024.

However, this drop has been more than offset by growth from India, Japan, the UAE, and other smaller markets, resulting in a net increase of 0.4 million seats for Thailand.