Thailand just logged a Thailand airports passenger record during the Chinese New Year travel window, and it showed up in very normal ways: fuller flights, longer lines at peak hours, and busier rides out of the terminals. From Feb 13 to 22, 2026, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) reported 4.89 million passengers moving through the country’s airports.
For travelers, the message is practical. Popular flight times sold out faster, and peak arrival banks pushed immigration queues longer. For tourism, it’s a clean signal that demand from China has returned at scale. CAAT tied the surge to visa-free travel and extra flights, which made last-minute holiday trips easier to book.
Quick stats: Thailand airports passenger record during Chinese New Year travel
Quick stats
- Total passengers (Feb 13 to 22, 2026): CAAT reported 4,889,321
- Compared with 2019: CAAT reported about 4.72 million in the same period, so 2026 beat 2019 by about 170,000
- International flight movements: CAAT reported 28,340
- Cargo: CAAT reported 42,280 tonnes
- Peak-day notes (selected airports):
- Suvarnabhumi (BKK) on Feb 14: CAAT reported 217,331 passengers
- Phuket (HKT) on Feb 17: CAAT reported 40,221 international passengers and 204 flights
Airports and airlines planned for a spike, but the final count still matters because it beat the 2019 mark. Anyone traveling in Thailand around big festivals can use this as a baseline for what “busy” now looks like. For a broader look at where holiday crowds concentrate beyond airports, this guide to Chinese New Year 2026 celebrations in Thailand helps explain why Bangkok and major tourist cities pull in so many short-break trips.
Why Chinese New Year travel to Thailand surged this year
Three forces lined up at the same time. First, travel demand from China stayed strong for short-haul routes. Second, airlines scheduled extra capacity into Thailand’s key gateways. Third, easier entry rules reduced pre-trip friction for many travelers.
Airline data often gets summed up in one term: load factor, which means how full a plane is. When load factors sit above 95 percent, most seats are gone, even if schedules look “busy but normal.”
CAAT linked the holiday spike to stronger China travel and to added flights. That matched what many passengers saw on the ground: tighter seat maps, fewer empty rows, and heavier crowds during morning and evening peaks.
Visa-free entry made last-minute trips easier
Thailand and China have run a visa exemption trial that CAAT reporting said is extended to the end of 2026. For travelers, that doesn’t mean faster airport lines, because immigration checks still happen. It does mean fewer steps before the trip, which can push more people to fly during holiday weeks.
That effect shows up most in late bookings. When a trip doesn’t require an extra appointment or document run, families can decide closer to the departure date. In a peak season like Chinese New Year, those “late yes” decisions stack up quickly.
Airlines added flights to Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, but seats still filled up fast
CAAT reported airlines added rotations from major China cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen into tourism hubs including Phuket and Chiang Mai. CAAT also reported average load factors above 95 percent on added China routes, a sign that extra seats didn’t stay open for long.
CAAT’s supporting detail helps explain why prices can feel stubborn during holiday windows. Even when airlines add capacity, a near-full plane usually means fewer discounted fares and less choice in flight times.
Some reporting also described airports preparing for a heavy week, including expected passenger volumes and more flights through the main hubs. For context on those preparations, see this report on airports bracing for the Lunar New Year surge.
Where the crowds were biggest, and what it felt like at the airport
The busiest moments didn’t look like chaos, but they did feel compressed. Peak-hour “banks” of arrivals and departures can create the same pinch points at any airport: immigration counters, security screening, and packed boarding areas. Then the pressure moves outside, with longer waits for taxis, ride-hails, and airport rail links.
Still, operations continued, and airports used tools meant to keep lines moving. The main difference for travelers was timing. Off-peak hours often felt manageable, while peak waves created longer, slower queues.
Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang handled the bulk of the rush
Suvarnabhumi carried the headline weight. CAAT reported about 1.97 million passengers at Suvarnabhumi across the Feb 13 to 22 period, or a 197,105 daily average, with 11,374 flights. The top day was Feb 14, when CAAT reported 217,331 passengers, including 178,105 international.
Don Mueang, meanwhile, stayed busy with low-cost traffic during the holiday period, according to reporting. CAAT-linked coverage also pointed to additional automated gates there, which matters because low-cost peaks can load up security and immigration at the same time.
Phuket and Chiang Mai: resort and city breaks drove strong international arrivals
Phuket had a clear single-day marker. CAAT reported that Feb 17 brought 40,221 international passengers and 204 flights at Phuket Airport. That kind of day tends to ripple outward, with crowded arrival halls and longer waits for transport at the curb.
Chiang Mai also benefited from added China flights and very high plane fullness (over 95 percent, per CAAT reporting on these routes). CAAT-linked coverage noted Chiang Mai reached 36,500 passengers on Feb 12, just outside the Feb 13 to 22 window, which still signals how intense the lead-in days were.
Local tourism reporting also described longer Chinese stays in Phuket around the period, which can keep seats and rooms tight for more than a weekend. Related background is available in this Chiang Rai Times report on Chinese tourists extending Phuket Lunar New Year stays.
How Thailand is trying to keep lines moving, and what to do next time
Crowds don’t only depend on passenger totals. They also depend on how quickly each traveler can complete the same steps: document checks, bag screening, and border processing. That’s why airports focus on automation during peak seasons.
At the same time, travelers should treat “extra flights” as a seat supply story, not a guarantee of comfort. When CAAT reports load factors above 95 percent, it usually means tighter cabins, fewer empty seats, and less flexibility if a flight is disrupted.
What airports are changing: more e-gates and a digital arrival card trial
Reporting tied to this travel period cited 40 additional e-gates at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang. E-gates are automated passport gates for eligible travelers. They can reduce pressure on staffed counters, although peak hours can still mean waits.
Coverage also mentioned a trial digital arrival-card system, which aims to reduce paperwork and improve data handling. It won’t eliminate immigration checks, but it can make processing more consistent when many flights land close together.
More detail on Suvarnabhumi’s holiday ramp-up also appeared in this overview of Suvarnabhumi’s Chinese New Year preparations.
Practical planning for the next peak: prices, timing, and a simple checklist
High load factors usually mean fewer cheap seats. In plain terms, when planes run 95 percent full, airlines have less reason to discount. Travelers also get fewer choices in the best departure times, like early morning or early evening.
Next, the calendar matters. Thailand’s next crowd tests often include Songkran (mid-April), then early May travel around Labor Day and Golden Week patterns, and then summer trips. None of these dates guarantee a repeat of Chinese New Year levels, but they often bring the same pinch points at peak hours.
Traveler checklist (8 quick items):
- Arrive early: add buffer time during holiday weeks
- Online check-in: do it as soon as it opens
- Carry-on essentials: meds, charger, one change of clothes
- eSIM or roaming prep: set it up before landing
- Extra time for airport transport: traffic and taxi queues spike
- Document readiness: passport validity and entry rules checked before travel
- Airline alerts: turn on app or SMS updates
- Rebooking plan: know your alternatives if you misconnect
Why the passenger record matters for Thailand’s economy (briefly)
Air traffic is a fast indicator for tourism demand. When passenger totals beat 2019, hotels, restaurants, and local transport usually feel it soon after, especially in Bangkok and resort areas.
Thailand’s tourism ministry has forecast up to USD 20 billion in receipts from Chinese visitors in 2026 if momentum holds, based on reported expectations during this recovery phase. The airport record doesn’t guarantee that outcome, but it supports the direction of travel.
Thailand’s Chinese New Year rush was more than a busy weekend. CAAT’s figures show a clear Thailand airports passenger record from Feb 13 to 22, 2026, and the day-to-day impact was simple: fuller planes, tighter peak-hour lines, and strong demand in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. If the current pace continues, the tourism upside could be significant, including the tourism ministry’s USD 20 billion China-receipts goal for 2026, but travelers should still plan for crowd pressure around the next holiday peaks.
Sources
- Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) statement/report, Feb 27, 2026
- Airports of Thailand (AOT) passenger and operations outlook (as cited in reporting)
- Thailand tourism ministry 2026 receipts forecast for Chinese visitors (as cited in reporting)
- VisaHQ news report summarizing the CAAT figures (secondary source)
