Thailand Records More than 10 Million Tourist Arrivals from Jan-April 2024

(CTN News) – Thailand has received 10.72 million international visitor arrivals, with 1.39 million arriving from Malaysia, resulting in tourism receipts of 518 billion baht (RM67.18 billion).

According to Tourism and Sports Ministry statistics, from January 1 to April 14, Chinese tourists accounted for more than two million of the kingdom’s international visitors, followed by Malaysians, Russians (695,624), South Koreans (619,186), and Indians (546,935).

Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said 735,802 foreign visitors visited Thailand between April 8 and 14, averaging 105,115 daily.

“The number of foreign visitors is expected to continue to rise because of several factors, including the end of Ramadan, which many predict will see an increase in tourists from Malaysia, as well as the free-visa agreements with certain countries,” she added.

Thailand has set a target of 40 million international visitors this year, matching the pre-pandemic total from 2019.

It expects to earn three trillion baht from domestic and foreign tourists by the end of the year. – Berna

ORIGINAL STORY: Thailand Gets Aggressive on Tourism With 35 Million Visitor Target

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry is confident that the country will welcome 35 million foreign visitors this year, with 3 million arriving in the first month. Tourism operators claim expensive tour packages will not deter Chinese tourists from second-tier towns.

According to Kitti Chaodee, secretary to the tourism and sports ministry, Thailand received over 90,000 daily visitors during the week and more than 100,000 on weekends in January, indicating a strong start to the year.

This year, the government is offering a variety of incentives, including visa-free schemes for all exempted nations, the suspension of TM6 immigration forms at Thai-Malaysian border checkpoints, and tourism marketing in second-tier cities.

Chinese tourists were 533,450 as of February 1, with Malaysian arrivals at 337,729 and South Korean arrivals at 229,517.

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), stated airfares for China-Thailand routes remain higher than in 2019, with round-trip tickets costing 4,000-5,000 yuan (about 20,000 baht) during Chinese New Year.

However, he stated that more expensive airfares and tour packages did not deter Chinese travelers from second-tier cities, as many of them were willing to spend their savings on exceptional vacations…Read More