Traveller’s delight: Visitors walking through Phraya Nakhon Cave at the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in this 2021 file photo. — AFP
About 1.3 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in the first five months of 2022, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn reported that most visitors came from India – 123,606 – followed by the UK with 96,323, Malaysia 78,523, Germany 77,707 and the US 72,482.
Most – 825,918 – entered via Suvarnabhumi Airport, 378,786 through Phuket International Airport, 41,043 via Don Mueang International Airport, 19,962 through the Sadao Border Checkpoint and 12,783 via the Nong Khai Border Checkpoint.
Yuthasak said 532,177 tourists entered Thailand in May after the Test & Go scheme was scrapped, exceeding the target of 500,000.
If 500,000 tourists enter Thailand in the four remaining months of the low season (June to September), the number of visitors would total around three million for the nine months of the year, the TAT governor said.
Moreover, he said, it is highly possible to reach Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn’s goal of seven to 10 million travellers in the whole of 2022 if more than one million tourists visit the country per month from October to December.
Yuthasak also expected more than 3.25 million travellers from Europe and the Middle East this year, especially the hoped-for one million visitors from Russia, generating 260 billion baht (RM33.1bil) in income for Thailand.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT’s deputy governor for International Marketing in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said the government’s decision to further ease entry for international arrivals from Tuesday is a highly positive factor for foreign tourists.
It would now be easier for Thailand to compete with foreign nations, he maintained.
Countries around the world are reopening in a bid to lure foreign tourists, Chattan said. Therefore, it is currently a travellers’ market.
He advised TAT and Thai tour operators to improve travel experiences and service quality.
Meanwhile, tourists in Europe are starting to reserve tickets for the high season, especially in coastal provinces, Chattan added. — The Nation/ANN
