Thailand celebrates 20m tourist arrivals in just seven months

Bangkok : In 2024, Thailand witnessed a remarkable growth in tourism, attracting 20 million international visitors in the first seven months, reaching half of the pre-Covid-19 figures.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin shared on social media that Thailand welcomed over 20 million international tourists from January 1 to July 25, 2024, marking a 34 per cent increase compared to 2023.

He acknowledged the contributions of various parties and sectors in achieving this growth, highlighting the implementation of initiatives such as visa-free travel, expanded flight options, the establishment of an aviation hub and improvements to tourist attractions.

The influx of tourists from Taiwan and India reached record numbers, largely due to the visa-free programme, which permits travellers from 93 countries to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days without a visa.

This programme, launched in late 2023, has been extended until November 11, 2024 and is a key component of the government's tourism strategy.

Despite recent growth in tourism, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports noted that the forecasted 35 million international visitors for 2024, generating an estimated THB 3 trillion (USD 83 billion) in revenue, still falls short of 2019 figures. In 2019, Thailand welcomed 40 million tourists, which brought in THB 1.91 trillion (USD 53 billion).

From January 1 to July 25, 2024, Thailand saw a significant influx of 20,001,405 foreign tourists. Mainland China led with 3,994,343 visitors, followed by Malaysia with 2,784,598, India with 1,170,419, South Korea with 1,053,077, and Russia with 987,861. Other notable contributors included Laos (714,564), Taiwan (610,270), Vietnam (597,695) and the United States (575,268).

Among long-haul travellers, Russia topped the list, followed by the United States. The United Kingdom (539,884), Germany (481,733), and France (420,446) also contributed significantly to the tourist numbers.