In 2023, almost 10 million foreign tourists visited Thailand, and this brought almost 400 billion baht to the country's budget, Traisuli Traisoranakul said on Saturday.
As Treisuli noted, 9.5 million people visited the country from the beginning of the year until May 15. Most of them came from East, South and Southeast Asia.
In the first seven months of 2023 (October 2022 to April 2023), Thailand received 12,805 flights from China, an increase of 98%, according to official figures from the state-owned Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co Ltd. than the previous year.
Another 5,330 flights are expected to arrive from China in May, 6,090 in June, 7,150 in July, 7,460 in August, and 7,340 in September. A total of 46,175 flights are expected from China this year. This number is still 66% less than in 2019, before the pandemic.
Treysuli noted that Thai authorities are working closely with officials in China to increase the number of flights.
Thailand is actively rebuilding its tourism industry, attracting millions of Chinese tourists. The rise in visitors from China following the easing of travel restrictions was a positive signal for the industry. This helps not only the country's economy, but also enriches the cultural exchange between our peoples. Tourism growth prospects in Thailand remain encouraging, and cooperation between Thailand and China along the way is becoming closer and more productive.
