Visitor numbers up 34% this year
Tourists take photos at Tha Tien Pier along the Chao Phraya River, opposite the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), in June. (Photo by Apichat Jinakul)
Thailand welcomed 20 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of this year, about half the total number of tourists during the same period before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Prime Minister Sreta Tavisin said in a post on X this week that more than 20 million international tourists visited the country between Jan. 1 and July 25 this year, a 34% increase on last year’s figures.
He thanked all political parties and sectors for promoting various measures that have led to the surge in visitor numbers, including visa-free travel, increased air traffic, creation of air hubs and improvement of tourist destinations.
Additionally, tourist numbers from Taiwan and India hit record highs, likely thanks to the visa waiver scheme, which allows tourists from 93 countries to stay in Saudi Arabia for up to 60 days without applying for a visa. The scheme, which began late last year and has now been extended until November 11, is one of the government’s key policies to boost tourism.
Mr Sretta said this year’s tourism growth was down to the cooperation of all involved. “Currently, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is preparing activities to attract tourists from different countries every month. Thailand’s big door has opened today, so I want the tourism industry to be ready,” he said.
However, while tourist numbers are forecast at 35 million this year, generating 3 trillion baht in revenue, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, this would still fall short of the record Thailand recorded in 2019, when it brought in 1.91 trillion baht in revenue and 40 million tourists.
According to data from the ministry, Thailand received 20,001,405 tourists between Jan 1 and July 25 this year. The largest number of tourists were from mainland China (3,994,343), followed by Malaysia (2,784,598), India (1,170,419), South Korea (1,053,077), Russia (987,861), Laos (714,564), Taiwan (610,270), Vietnam (597,695) and the United States (575,268).
In terms of long-haul arrivals, Russia ranked first, followed by the United States, Germany (481,733), France (420,446) and the United Kingdom (539,884).
Siripakorn Cheewsamut, TAT’s vice president for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said the outlook for the long-haul market is positive, with the airline expecting long-haul visitor numbers and market-generated revenue to exceed 2019 totals.
He said the TAT was working to attract European tourists to Thailand later this year and the 2024 Summer Olympics, or Paris 2024, would be a good opportunity to convince the French to visit Thailand.
Mr Siripakorn said the TAT office in Paris had worked with French travel company Carrefour Voyages to promote package trips to Thailand from May 20 to June 16. Package prices ranged from 1,469 euros to 1,849 euros. Meanwhile, TAT had also worked with a Malaysian travel agency to promote a scenic tour for Malaysian tourists to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai aboard the “Special Charter Sawasdee Train”. The trip, with Malaysians arriving on the promoted train, will run today and tomorrow.
