Thailand Welcomes 29 Million Tourists, Expects More As High Season Kicks In

By Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Thailand has welcomed more than 29.08 million foreign tourists, generating approximately 1.358 trillion baht in revenue from January 1 to November 3 this year.

According to statistics from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Chinese tourists topped the list of arrivals with over 5.75 million, followed by tourists from Malaysia (4.18 million), India (1.72 million), South Korea (1.53 million), and Russia (1.3 million) during the period.

Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong stated that further increases in foreign tourist arrivals are anticipated in the coming week, driven by the high season for long-haul markets, particularly from Europe.

"Tourism promotion measures have increased seat capacity to Thailand by 10 per cent from July through the end of the year.

“The government’s ‘Ease of Traveling’ initiatives, including the waiver of the TM.6 immigration card at land border checkpoints, and incentives for airlines to increase flight frequencies, are also key contributors," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Thailand aims to attract at least 40 million foreign visitors this year, returning to the pre-pandemic level recorded in 2019.

The country has projected a total tourism income of three trillion baht from both domestic and foreign tourists by year-end.

-- BERNAMA