Thailand is on course to surpass its 2022 target of attracting 10 million foreign visitors, with tourist arrivals totaling 7.56 million as of October 30.
According to Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri, at least 1.5 million monthly visitors are expected during the remainder of the year. He noted that flight bookings from India and Malaysia to Thailand showed a load-factor of 85% and 68%, respectively, in November and December.
More than 1 million Malaysians have toured Thailand this year, making them the single-largest group of travelers to the kingdom famous for its beaches, modern malls, developed transportation networks, national parks, healthcare infrastructure and Buddhist temples. Almost 600,000 Indians visited Thailand in the first nine months of the year, compared with less than 1,000 a year earlier.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is counting on tourism revival to offset the hit from high global energy prices and volatile financial markets. Thailand scrapped all travel curbs in July and most businesses have returned to normal operations, helping bring back tourists who were mostly absent in the previous two years.
Citing a forecast by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Anucha said the number of visitors may surge to 18 million next year and generate about 970 billion baht (US$26 billion) in tourism revenue.
The TAT forecasts that domestic travel will generate 760 billion baht in revenue in 2023, according to the tourism authority.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha has ordered relevant agencies to deploy more personnel to handle the surge in tourist arrivals, especially at immigration counters at the airports. (NNT)
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