THAILAND EYES RM386 BLN FROM TOURISM REVENUE THIS YEAR

By Kenny Teng

PHANG NGA, June 6 (Bernama) -- Thailand is setting its sights on generating a tourism revenue of 3 trillion Baht (RM386 billion) in 2024, following last year's achievement of 1.2 trillion Baht.

According to the Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Nithee Seeprae, the country recorded over 28 million international arrivals last year, contributing to the 1.2 trillion Baht revenue.

"For this year, TAT has set a tourism revenue target of 3 trillion Baht, which includes 1.92 trillion Baht from an anticipated 35 million international arrivals in 2024 and 1.08 trillion Baht from 200 million domestic trips," he said during a briefing to the participants of the Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2024 on Wednesday.

TTM+ is an annual Thailand's leading business-to-business (B2B) travel industry event, which aims to provide a platform for travel businesses to connect and do business.

Moreover, Nithee noted that from Jan 1 to May 31 this year, Thailand welcomed over 14 million international arrivals and generated revenue of over 682 million Baht.

"Currently, our top five sources of tourist arrivals are China, Malaysia, India, Russia, and South Korea. We hope to achieve 35 million international tourist arrivals in 2024," he said.

He added TAT has highlighted the new marketing communication concept and showcased Thailand’s diverse tourism offerings, focusing on delivering meaningful travel experiences that would create a lifetime memory.

Themed "Amazing Thailand: Your Stories Never End", this year’s TTM+ event is being held in Khao Lak, Phang-Nga, and will run until Friday, June 7.

Earlier this month, the Thai government announced new measures to boost the tourism sector, including visa exemptions, expanding the visa-on-arrival list, and introducing a new visa category.

Effective June 1, visitors from 93 countries, up from the previous 57, can enter Thailand without visa requirements for stays of up to 60 days. Additionally, the list of countries eligible for a visa on arrival will increase to 31 from 19.

For digital nomads seeking long-term stays and remote work in Thailand, visa validity will be extended from 60 days to five years, with each stay allowed for up to 180 days.

Other measures include allowing foreign university students to stay for one year after graduation and relaxing insurance requirements for long-stay foreign retirees.

-- BERNAMA