Digital travel platform Agoda has published its 2027 Asia Travel Pulse, spotlighting the key trends poised to shape the year ahead for Thai travelers. While travelers across Asia are looking abroad again and cutting back on the number of trips they take, Thai travelers stand out: social media and AI are shaping how they plan, and they intend to travel more often than any other market surveyed, mostly within Thailand and with an eye on lesser-known destinations.
Based on research across more than 3,300 travelers from 11 markets in Asia, including Thailand, the 2027 Agoda Asia Travel Pulse also reveals that Thai travelers are making considered choices about how they spend, with short getaways, good-value stays and member deals shaping their plans.
Akaporn Rodkong, Country Director, Thailand and Indochina at Agoda, said: “For Thai travelers, travel has become part of everyday life rather than a once-a-year trip. They want travel ideas they can trust, technology that makes planning quicker, and good value every time they book. Agoda’s role is to meet those needs by helping travelers find places beyond the usual hotspots, supporting the local businesses and communities that welcome them, and making every trip as personal, easy and affordable as possible.”
Agoda’s top four trends defining travel for Thai travelers in 2027:
- Social media sparks the trip, AI helps plan it
Social media plays a bigger role in Thai travel choices than almost anywhere else in Asia, influencing two in three Thai respondents (67%), compared with 47% across Asia. Only Indonesia ranks higher (73%). Nearly half of Thai travelers (45%) also now use AI to plan their trips, most often to build an itinerary, create a shortlist of destinations, or compare hotels and flights. Yet Thai travelers still want the final say, with 59% saying they would prefer to book hotels themselves rather than hand the task to an AI agent.
Trust will also shape the way forward: Thai travelers are the most likely in Asia to say that an AI assistant showing where its information comes from would increase their confidence (30%).
- Asia’s most frequent travelers: more trips, shorter breaks
While travelers across Asia are taking fewer trips, with one to three trips the most common plan for next year (41%), Thai travelers are heading the other way. Thai travelers are Asia’s most frequent travelers, with nearly a quarter (24%) planning 11 or more trips in 2027, up from 14% last year and double the Asia average (12%). More than four in ten (44%) expect to take seven trips or more, compared with 24% across Asia. Many of these are quick getaways, with 39% expecting most of their trips to last one to three days, compared with 26% across Asia.
- Home still has the strongest pull, and value seals the deal
While more than a third (38%) of travelers across Asia expect to travel mostly abroad in 2027, home still has a strong pull for Thai travelers. More than half of Thai respondents (54%) expect to travel mostly within Thailand, while just 16% expect to travel mostly abroad. For the former, this is second only to Japanese respondents looking to travel domestically (65%).
Value also remains a key consideration. More than eight in ten Thai travelers (84%) expect to spend THB3,300 or less per night on accommodation, compared with 73% across Asia. Exclusive member discounts are also the loyalty perk that matters most to two in three Thai travelers (66%), the highest share in Asia.
- Hidden gems are on the radar, if the price is right
Thai travelers are among the most adventurous in Asia. 44% say that they are likely to visit an emerging destination, small town, or less-crowded spot in 2027, compared with 36% across Asia, and only Indian travelers are more likely to do so. Lower travel costs (31%) would most encourage Thai travelers to choose a hidden gem, followed by special promotions or discounts (17%). Another 17% say easy access to information, reviews and travel support would most encourage them, a higher share than in any other market surveyed and well above the Asia average of 10%.
These preferences such as traveling close to home, paired with an appetite for lesser-known places, aligns with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) efforts to encourage domestic travel and spread visitors to secondary cities, including the proposed “Thai Teaw Thai Plus” travel scheme and its 2027 plan for secondary destinations.
Digital travel platform Agoda has published its 2027 Asia Travel Pulse, spotlighting top four trends defining travel for Thai travelers in 2027.
Those making travel plans for 2027 can enjoy Agoda’s offerings of over 6 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, all easily combined in a single booking. Discover the best deals on Agoda’s mobile app and visit Agoda.com for more information.
