Japan remained the top choice for outbound Thai travellers in 2016 despite the stronger yen raising accommodation costs by 10% year-on-year.
That's according to the latest findings of booking website Hotels.com, whose conclusions are in line with those of other studies.
Hotels.com said three cities in Japan -- Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo -- were in the top 10 most-visited destinations by Thais last year.
Tokyo ranked first, Osaka fourth and Sapporo eighth.
It was the first year that Sapporo, home of seasonal Hokkaido cuisine, entered the top 10 most popular hotspots frequented by Thais.
Thai visits to Japan have grown at explosive rates since Tokyo began waiving visa requirements for short visits in 2013.
Figures from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed that Thai visitors to the Land of the Rising Sun reached 901,458 last year, up from 796,731 in 2015 and 453,642 in 2013.
Thai arrivals to Japan are likely to zoom past the 1-million mark this year, thanks to the visa exemption and the rise of low-cost airline service between the two countries, according to travel industry executives.
Hotels.com said Paris, which ranked seventh in 2015 among Thai travellers, relinquished its top-10 position in 2016.
In addition, London slipped two places to 10th and was the only non-Asian city to remain in the top 10.
Hong Kong moved up to second place in 2016 from third, and Singapore rose to third from fourth. Seoul maintained its fifth rank, while Kuala Lumpur held steady at sixth. Ho Chi Minh City jumped to seventh from ninth, and Taipei to ninth from 13th.
According to Hotels.com, Thais last year spent more on accommodation in Tokyo (+14%, or an extra 5,300 baht a night), Osaka (+19%, 4,700 baht) and Seoul (+7%, 3,400 baht), and less in Hong Kong (-3%, down 4,900 baht) and Singapore (-1%, 4,500 baht).
The Thai Travel Agents Association expects the number of Thais travelling abroad to rise 6-7% to a record 7 million this year.