BANGKOK (BERNAMA) – Thailand welcomed 32.7 million international tourists between January 1 and December 8, generating approximately THB1.535 trillion in tourism revenue, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thianthong said.
He said that during the week of December 2 to 8, the country saw 699,129 international arrivals, averaging 99,876 visitors per day.
He emphasised that while this represented a slight 1.03 per cent decline compared to the previous week, a strong rebound in Malaysian tourists helped offset the decreases in other markets.
“Malaysian tourist arrivals surged by 24.58 per cent to 79,386, driven by improved travel conditions following the recent floods in Hat Yai District and the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sorawong said other key markets for the week included China (111,468 visitors), Russia (47,893), India (46,094), and South Korea (37,823). However, arrivals from China, South Korea, India, and Russia saw slight declines. He also noted a slight uptick in long-haul markets, particularly from Scandinavia – such as Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Looking ahead, the ministry anticipates an increase in international arrivals driven by several factors, including the peak travel season for European tourists and increased airline seat capacity.
He said flights to Thailand have risen by 10 per cent from July to the year’s end.
“The government’s initiatives, such as removing the need for the TM6 immigration form at land checkpoints and promoting higher flight frequencies, are expected to further enhance travel convenience,” Sorawong said.
As of December 9, China remained Thailand’s largest tourist source market, with 6.3 million visitors, followed by Malaysia (4.6 million), India (1.96 million), South Korea (1.72 million), and Russia (1.55 million).
Sorawong added that the robust recovery of the short-haul market, especially from neighbouring Malaysia, reflects the effectiveness of ongoing tourism recovery efforts.
