Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2026 has wrapped up in Na Jomtien, Chonburi, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reporting more than 15,000 business matchings and an estimated 5 billion baht in projected economic impact from the three day event.
Held from 10 to 12 June at the NICE Pattaya Convention and Exhibition Center in Chon Buri, the 23rd edition of TTM+ ran under the theme “Amazing Thailand: Healing is the New Luxury” and closed with the announcement that Khon Kaen will host the 2027 edition.
Day one: registration and a briefing on Thailand’s tourism direction
The event opened on 10 June with delegate registration, alongside seven pre-tour routes through Chon Buri that gave international buyers an early look at the province’s tourism offerings. TAT used the opening day to brief participants on its forward looking tourism strategy, presenting the “Thailand Tourism Update” and outlining the “Value over Volume” approach that has guided the country’s marketing since the start of 2026. TAT‘s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, told delegates that the event reflected the government’s commitment to tourism as a driver of national growth, while the opening ceremony brought the “5R” concept of Retreats, Rituals, Reels, Rhythms and Relations to life through Thai cuisine, cultural performances and live music along the Pattaya coastline.
Day two: media briefings, deal making and a Pattaya send off
The second day began with a morning media session in which three senior TAT figures briefed journalists and answered questions on the organisation’s regional strategy. Ms. Suladda Sarutilavan, TAT‘s Executive Director for the Europe Region, Mr. Santi Sawangcharoen, Executive Director for the Americas, Middle East and Africa Region, and Mrs. Chiravadee Khunsub, TAT‘s Deputy Governor for International Marketing covering Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, took part in the briefing and a subsequent question and answer session with attending media.
The afternoon was given over to the core business of the event, with buyer and seller meetings and structured B2B sessions running throughout the convention centre. In the evening, TAT hosted a closing reception, known as “Pattaya Night,” at Columbia Pictures Aquaverse. It was at this event that TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool confirmed that Khon Kaen, in Thailand’s northeastern Isan region, would host TTM+ 2027, marking the first time the flagship mart has moved to that part of the country.
Strong buyer turnout, with the Middle East the standout market
By the close of the three day mart, TAT confirmed that 429 international buyers from 58 countries had taken part, a 5.7 percent increase on the previous year, with first time visitors to Thailand accounting for 61.7 percent of that total. On the supply side, 428 Thai tourism businesses took part, dominated by hotels and resorts at 77 percent and inbound tour operators at 11 percent. The strongest growth came from the Middle East, where buyer registrations doubled compared with the prior edition, led by luxury operators from Saudi Arabia who said they expect outbound travel to Thailand from the Gulf to climb sharply this year.
Khon Kaen named host of TTM+ 2027
The selection of Khon Kaen for 2027 was framed by TAT as part of a wider push to spread tourism income beyond Bangkok and Thailand’s established coastal hubs. Local officials in the Isan region have projected that hosting the event could inject around 4 billion baht into the local economy, with plans to position Khon Kaen as a base for community based and cultural tourism, alongside cross border links to Laos and Vietnam.
TTM+ as a barometer for Thailand’s 2026 targets
TTM+ 2026 also served as a platform for TAT to restate its targets for the year, including 33 million international arrivals and 2.65 trillion baht in combined tourism revenue. Officials noted that Thailand is simultaneously adjusting visa free stay durations for a number of countries as part of the same shift toward higher value, longer staying visitors rather than pure arrival numbers. The next edition of the trade mart, set for Khon Kaen in 2027, is expected to test whether that strategy can extend beyond Thailand’s traditional tourism strongholds.
