Malaysia has officially dethroned Thailand as the most-visited country in Southeast Asia for the first time, according to Q1 2025 tourism figures, marking a major shake-up in the region’s travel landscape.
According to a report by Thai media outlet Vision Thai, Malaysia welcomed 10.1 million international tourists in the first quarter of 2025, overtaking Thailand’s 9.5 million.
This historic milestone puts Malaysia at the top of Southeast Asia’s tourism leaderboard — a position long held by Thailand.
Meanwhile, Vietnam also made headlines by attracting 1.6 million Chinese visitors, surpassing Thailand’s 1.3 million from China during the same period.
The data highlights fierce competition among ASEAN nations in a post-pandemic travel boom driven by visa reforms and targeted tourism campaigns.
Visa-Free Travel, smart marketing key to Malaysia’s tourism boom
According to Travel & Tour Magazine, Malaysia’s tourism surge is the result of a strategic blend of visa-free entry policies, precision marketing, and infrastructure upgrades.
Singaporeans accounted for the largest share of arrivals, with 4.9 million visitors, followed by 1.1 million each from China and Indonesia.
Malaysia’s decision to extend visa-free entry for Chinese tourists until at least 2030, with a potential extension to 2036, and for Indian tourists until 2026, has been widely praised as a bold move to secure tourism flows from Asia’s two most populous nations.
The bigger picture: Regional tourism rivalry intensifies
Tourism numbers from the first five months of 2025 show just how rapidly the dynamics are shifting.
- Japan welcomed 18.14 million international visitors (up 23.9% year-on-year)
- Vietnam saw 9.2 million, marking a 21.3% increase
China continues to be a key outbound market for ASEAN, and the region’s increasing adoption of visa-free entry has amplified its attractiveness.
Singapore, for example, also offers visa-free access to Chinese nationals and welcomed 13.6 million foreign tourists last year, with China ranking among its top three markets.
