Thailand welcomes 19m foreign tourists so far in 2023

Dhaka: Thailand welcomed 19 million foreign tourists from January to September 17, 2023, said the country’s tourism ministry on September 19.

Foreign arrivals generated THB 795 billion (USD 22.26 billion) in revenue, added the ministry.

“The tourism situation in Thailand is showing signs of improvement,” further mentioned the ministry, adding that the government's visa waiver for Chinese arrivals will give the sector a boost.

Arrivals are expected to pick up further as the industry begins to enter high season, with long weekends in source countries like Malaysia and Japan.

Thailand's new government plans to boost tourism arrivals include waiving visas for arrivals from China and Kazakhstan from September 25, 2023, till the end of February 2024.

Tourism is a key driver of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. The government expects to see 28 million arrivals in 2023.

In 2019, there was a record 39.9 million foreign tourists, including 11 million from China.

The government earlier said it is aiming for 5 million Chinese tourists in 2023.