In a social media post on platform X (formerly Twitter), Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced the total number of foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand. As of July 25, more than 20 million international tourists have visited the Land of Smiles, a 34% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to Srettha, this significant increase is a result of various government policies supporting the tourism sector, such as visa-free programs, expanded flight connectivity, and improvements to tourist attractions.
Meanwhile, in an announcement from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on July 30, it was stated that Thailand welcomed 20,335,107 foreign visitors from January 1 to July 28, generating approximately 957.31 billion baht.
The main sources of tourists to Thailand are China (4,065,109), followed by Malaysia (2,837,922), India (1,186,288), South Korea (1,073,792), and Russia (996,990).
In just the past week (July 22-28), there were 716,631 foreign arrivals, or an average of 102,376 per day, an increase of 1.04% from the previous week, according to Sermsak Pongpanich, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports.
School holidays in short-haul markets such as South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan contributed to the weekly increase of 0.85%, while long-haul markets saw an increase of 1.57% due to the start of summer holidays in Europe and the Middle East.
Total foreign arrivals this week (July 29 - August 4) are also expected to remain stable, supported by summer holidays in Europe, eased travel regulations from the government, and an increase in the number of flights.
The Thai government has set a target of 36.7 million foreign visitors for 2024, with an estimated revenue of around 3 trillion baht (US$83 billion).
