Thailand is turning Europe’s sweltering summer into an economic opportunity, promoting its cooler rainy season to tourists while benefiting from rising demand for air conditioners across the continent.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is encouraging European holidaymakers to escape soaring temperatures by visiting Thailand during the rainy season, highlighting lower hotel prices, fewer tourists and more comfortable weather, according to the Business Times. 

At the same time, the country’s manufacturers are seeing strong overseas demand for cooling appliances. According to Thailand’s Commerce Ministry, air conditioner exports to Europe climbed 41.3% year-on-year to $130.1mn in May. Shipments during the first five months of the year rose 16.5% to $696.8mn.

Europe represented 18% of Thailand’s air conditioner exports in 2025, making it the country’s second-largest market after the United States. Among the biggest buyers, exports to Germany increased 37.2% between January and May, while shipments to France rose 13.9%.

The growth comes as Europe experiences increasingly frequent heatwaves, exposing the limitations of homes designed to retain warmth rather than keep interiors cool. Retailers in several countries, including Germany, have reported shortages of portable air conditioners and electric fans as temperatures climbed well above seasonal averages.

Thailand, one of the world’s leading exporters of air conditioners alongside China and Mexico, has already benefited from the trend. The Industry Ministry reported that domestic air conditioner production rose 20% in May compared with a year earlier, despite an overall decline in manufacturing output.

Many of the units are produced by Japanese brands with long-established manufacturing operations in Thailand, including Daikin Industries and Mitsubishi Electric.

Thai National Shippers’ Council vice-chairman Suparp Suwanpimolkul said the rise in temperatures across Europe presents a timely opportunity for exporters, as more households invest in cooling systems.

Thailand exported $7.4bn worth of air conditioners and related parts in 2025, with exports already reaching $3.9bn during the first five months of this year. Officials say intensifying heatwaves are making air conditioners an essential household appliance rather than a luxury item.