Thailand Hotel Market Report

Online demand for hotels in Thailand continued to grow year over year throughout the first half of 2026. Higher international arrivals, stable domestic travel, and improving booking confidence supported demand across both hotel websites and OTAs, with direct bookings recording particularly strong growth.

Demand peaked during the first quarter, when January delivered the strongest direct booking performance of the period (+388% year over year). Booking activity softened after the peak season and around the Songkran holiday, but hotel websites continued to outperform 2025 every month. By the end of the first half of the year, direct bookings remained well above last year's levels, growing by 67–93% between April and June.

Stay date analysis shows a clear seasonal pattern in the first half of 2026. Hotel websites followed the same demand trend as OTAs, with direct bookings remaining stable throughout the period. Demand peaked in January and February, when OTA bookings reached up to 21,500 room nights per week. During the low season in May and June, weekly OTA bookings stabilized at around 10,000–12,000 room nights.

The share of direct bookings remained stable at 8–10%, peaking at 10.9% in week 7 before easing to 8.5–9% during the low season. Direct bookings reached their lowest point in weeks 13–14 (1,129–1,430 room nights) as many travelers made last-minute reservations for the Songkran holiday through OTAs.

Booking behavior differs across channels. OTAs remain the preferred choice for last-minute reservations, with 37.6% of bookings made within one day before arrival, compared to 29.2% on hotel websites. From two days before arrival onwards, however, hotel websites consistently outperform OTAs, showing that guests who plan ahead are more likely to book directly.

The strongest opportunity for direct bookings lies in the 15–30 day booking window, when many travelers finalize their plans. Hotel websites also perform particularly well for bookings made more than 90 days before arrival, suggesting that early planners are more likely to choose direct channels. This makes both booking windows ideal for promoting exclusive website rates, loyalty benefits, and early booking offers.

Booking patterns vary across Thailand's major destinations. While Bangkok remains the leading destination across both hotel websites and OTAs, some secondary destinations show stronger direct booking performance than others.

Pattaya and Krabi record a higher share of direct bookings, indicating successful website conversion. In contrast, Chiang Mai and Chonburi continue to rely more heavily on OTAs, highlighting opportunities to strengthen direct sales.

In the first half of 2026, guests who booked through hotel websites consistently stayed longer than those who booked through OTAs. As the market moved from the peak season into the shoulder season, the average length of stay gradually declined, reflecting the shift from long-haul international travel to shorter regional and domestic trips.

Despite this seasonal change, direct bookings maintained a clear advantage throughout the period. In February, a guest booking through a hotel website generated 46% more room nights per booking than a guest booking through an OTA, creating more opportunities to increase revenue while reducing distribution costs.

Throughout the first half of 2026, bookings made through hotel websites consistently achieved a higher ADR than OTA bookings. Depending on the month, the difference ranged from 18% to 42%, showing that guests who book directly tend to choose higher-value rates and packages.

Agoda remained the leading OTA in Thailand during the first half of 2026, accounting for 31.8% of all OTA room nights across the Exely hotel network. Trip.com Group (24.3%) and Booking.com (22.4%) followed closely, with the three largest channels generating 78.5% of all OTA bookings.

The remaining market was shared between Expedia/Hotels.com (9.2%), Traveloka (5.2%), Tiket.com (3.3%), and several smaller regional and niche channels. This distribution highlights the importance of maintaining a diversified channel strategy while focusing commercial efforts on the OTAs that generate the largest share of demand for your property.