Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), today highlighted key travel trends observed among Thai outbound travellers during the Songkran Festival in 2026, with Thai travellers increasingly moving toward independent, flexible, and self-planned journeys. This was uncovered from booking data and insights collected by Scoot during the Songkran period.
The shift toward Free Independent Travel (FIT) continues to gain momentum, with an estimated 65–75% of Thai outbound travellers now falling within the FIT or semi-FIT segment.
While group tours remain relevant for selected markets such as China, Japan and South Korea, the overall share of group tours continues to decline as Thai travellers seek more freedom in shaping their travel experience.
Asia-Pacific destinations continue to dominate Thai outbound travel, and popular destinations among Thai travellers include China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. These markets remain attractive travel destinations due to their relatively short flight duration of three to six hours, visa-free or simplified entry requirements, and high flight frequency.
Trip durations remain relatively short, with most outbound trips lasting three to five days. Longer trips between five to seven days usually happen during national holidays, and reserved especially for Northeast Asian destinations such as Japan and South Korea.
Thai travellers largely book their flights between one to three weeks before departure, while a growing “last-minute” travellers book their flights less than seven days in advance. This reflects a growing “wait-and-see” approach, with more travellers opting to monitor airfares or promotions before confirming their trips. This is aligned with recent travel trends, which indicate that travellers are reviewing their spending more carefully and prioritising trips, and experiences that offer more value, in response to rising living costs.
Beyond value, other main motivators for Thai travellers can be found in experience-driven choices. Food, shopping, café culture, local lifestyle activities, and less crowded destinations are evolving into highly influential factors shaping travel planning. This reflects broader shifts away from mass tourism, toward more personal and meaningful travel experiences. This is in line with findings uncovered in a white paper commissioned by Scoot in 2025 on solo travel trends, which suggests that one of the reasons why Thais travel stems from the need to breakaway from the monotony and routines of daily responsibilities.
As Thai travellers are becoming more independent and intentional in how they travel, Scoot continues to support these evolving travel needs through its extensive network across the Asia-Pacific the Middle East and Europe, flexible travel options that enable customers to tailor their journeys based on budget, preferences, and travel priorities, as well as continuing focus on quality service and differentiated products.
