THE number of foreign arrivals in Thailand has already exceeded ten million in the first four months of 2024.
Thailand’s tourism sector is showing strong signs of revival and economic recovery. The Thai New Year, also known as Songkran, is anticipated to boost even more the number of local and international tourists in the country.
Close to 10.8 million foreigners arrived in Thailand between January 1 and April 14, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
China topped the list of foreign arrivals followed by Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, and India.
An estimated 96,000 tourists from Muslim nations traveled to Thailand for the long Eid al-Fitr holidays from April 8 to 14 alone.
The annual Songkran Festival held from April 13-15 has attracted more foreign tourists especially Chinese. Thanks in part to its mutual permanent visa waiver with China which took effect on March 1, 2024.
Thailand is also pushing for a six-nation visa scheme that involves Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
Thailand is targeting around 36 million foreign arrivals and more than 3.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue in 2024.
