Visitors to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo source: AFP/VNA)

Bangkok – Thailand has welcomed nearly 10 million foreign tourists so far this year, earning about 391 billion baht (over 11.3 billion USD) in revenue.

Traisulee Taisaranakul, deputy spokeswoman of the Thai government, was quoted by local media as saying on May 20 that 9.47 million foreign tourists visited Thailand from January to May 15, mainly from East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The Thai government has ordered affiliated agencies to enhance support for incoming tourists, particularly Chinese visitors, to boost tourism growth. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand expects to see over 5.3 million Chinese tourists visiting the country. The figure might even reach 7 million if supported by other tourism incentives, Traisulee added.

Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) also said there were 12,805 flights from China to Thailand between October 2022 and April 2023, an increase of 98% compared to the same period the former year.

It also anticipated an increase in the number of flights from China until September this year. It estimates 5,330 flights in May, 6,090 in June, 7,150 in July, 7,460 in August, and 7,340 in September.

The total estimated number of Chinese flights coming to Thailand during the 2023 fiscal year, from October last year to September this year, is 46,175, said Traisulee.

Meanwhile, the Economics Tourism and Sports Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand reported that there were 415,309 foreign tourists visiting Thailand during May 8-14, or almost 59,329 people per day. Most are from Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia.

The top-five international tourists arriving in Thailand by nationality are Malaysians, Chinese, Indians, Lao and Koreans, making up to 47.5% of all international tourists.

The pision said that even though Thailand is entering its low season and the number of tourists is expected to fall gradually, there are many incentives to attract foreign tourists.