China tourists in Phuket: arrivals by year and month

China accounted for 1,285,894 guest arrivals at Phuket accommodation establishments in 2025 — 12.8% of all foreign check-ins (10,085,407) and rank #2 among the 38 foreign rows (including the residual “Others”) the Ministry of Tourism and Sports publishes for the province. Against 2024 (1,624,723) that is −20.9%; against 2019, the last pre-pandemic year (3,118,901), it is −58.8%.

Over the whole series the market went from 1,139,273 in 2013 to 1,285,894 in 2025 (+12.9%). The best year on record is 2019 with 3,118,901 check-ins. The pandemic low was 2021 at 9,464. China’s share of foreign arrivals moved from 32.2% in 2019 to 12.8% in 2025, so other markets grew faster.

Seasonality: in 2025 the peak month was July (150,214) and the quietest June (59,543). Averaged over 2023–2025, arrivals are moderately seasonal (1.7× between December and March): November–March carries 39.8% of the year and June–August 27.3%, which makes China a year-round market for Phuket. Before the pandemic (2013–2019) the strongest month averaged 11.3% of the year, in January.

Definitions: a guest arrival is a check-in at a registered hotel, resort, guesthouse or serviced apartment in Phuket province, counted by the nationality given at check-in. It is not an airport arrival and not a count of people: someone who stays in two hotels is counted twice, someone in a private villa is not counted. The nationality series runs 2013–2025; the 2026 split will appear with the ministry’s 2026 annual file, expected mid-2027. Source: Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports, provincial statistics, retrieved September 2026; files refreshed 2026-09-05.