Phuket has recovered faster than Thailand as a whole, and it has rebuilt around a different mix of visitors from the one it had in 2019. This article compares its recovery with Thailand, Bali and Vietnam using the latest official data. The counting methods differ slightly, so each figure is labelled.

Foreign visitors are back above 2019

Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports counted 10.75 million foreign visitors in Phuket in 2025, against 10.60 million in 2019, about 101% of the pre-pandemic level. Total visitors were 14.25 million against 14.58 million, or about 98%, because Thai visitors remain below 2019. Tourism revenue reached THB555 billion, up about 25% on 2019’s THB443 billion in nominal baht.

How Phuket rebuilt: New markets

The most visible change is the source markets. Measured by hotel check-ins, China fell from 3.12 million in 2019 to 1.29 million in 2025, while Russia nearly doubled from 0.91 million to 1.75 million and India grew from 0.23 million to 1.03 million. Russia, China and India now make up 17.3%, 12.8% and 10.2% of foreign check-ins.

In January to September 2026, TAT’s count shows Russia still the largest market with 703,224 visitors, China second with 501,045, up 10.75%, and India third with 432,257. TAT also notes that India, Germany, France and Kazakhstan are well above their 2019 levels, which widens the base further.

Where do Bali and Vietnam stand?

Bali passed its 2019 level in 2024 and grew another 9.72% in 2025. Vietnam’s 2025 arrivals rose 20.4%, led by China, up 41.3% to 5.28 million, and Russia, up 196.9%. Phuket’s Chinese market is still recovering, so part of the gap reflects where each destination started. Both are still growing in 2026: Bali’s first quarter was up 1.04%, and Vietnam’s first nine months were up 14.5% to 17.68 million.

2026: steady, with more connections on the way

Between January and September 2026, Phuket received 10.25 million visitors, down 1.6%, and earned nearly THB400 billion. Overseas visitors generated more than 92% of that revenue. Foreign arrivals were down 2.4%, compared with a 3.8% fall for Thailand overall.

Some established markets softened this year, including the UK, Germany and Australia, each down roughly 8% to 9%, so new long-haul capacity matters. Four airlines are adding direct services from London, Zurich, Kuwait City and Minsk this high season, including Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow on 18 October. Vietnam Airlines began flying Ho Chi Minh City to Phuket on 2 July. The airport handles more than 17 million passengers a year against a 12.5 million design capacity, and an expansion to 19 million is planned to open in 2032.

Property buyers have noticed. In the first quarter of 2026, Phuket’s foreign condo transfer value rose 34.9%, the strongest in Thailand.

The takeaway

Phuket’s foreign visitor numbers are back above 2019 and diversified across Russia, China, India and Europe. Bali and Vietnam are ahead on growth, but Phuket has the scale, revenue and new routes to keep building.

Sources:

Phuket tourism and airport