The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects international tourist arrivals to continue to rise in the third quarter, the traditional low season.
In the third quarter, arrivals to Thailand are forecast to increase by 13.4% year-on-year to 8.2 million, with tourism income rising 17% to 413 billion baht.
The top five markets in the third quarter are projected to be China with 2.7 million visitors (up 28.1%), Malaysia with 890,000 (up 8.43%), Japan with 376,000 (up 3.21%), South Korea with 370,000 (up 7.98%) and India with 273,000 (up 7.23%).
For the domestic market, the TAT forecasts tourism growth of 4.61% to 36.4 million trips, generating income of 213 billion baht, up 5.9%.
Yuthasak Supasorn, the TAT governor, said the projections were based on advance airfare bookings and surveys by tour wholesalers.
Although Europe's economy is slowing down, arrivals from European countries to Thailand are expected to continue to rise.
The European market is projected to grow by 13%, the Americas by 19% and Asia by 14% in the third quarter. Only two markets are expected to show a decline: the Middle East (-20%) and Australia (-7.6%).
The TAT attributed a lower oil price to fewer arrivals from the Middle East.
But Mr Yuthasak said the TAT was counting on last-minute bookings from Australians because the third quarter is that country's winter time. Australian tourists typically go to Phuket and other beach destinations.
In the first nine months, the TAT expects Thailand to welcome 25.1 million foreign tourists, up 13% year-on-year, while tourism income will surge 16% to at least 1.2 trillion baht.
Total domestic trips are projected to grow 3%-4% to 111 million, with income increasing 6% to 621 billion baht.
Hefty foreign arrivals over the first three quarters has the TAT mulling raising its 2016 tourism revenue target from 1.56 trillion baht, 8% growth from 2015. Any revision should be finalised by July.
The TAT reversed its outlook for European arrivals over the first three quarters, he said, expecting strong gains.
The agency said the industry had to work harder to lift domestic demand this year as the figure for the first three quarters will be far from its 13.9% growth projection.