According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on Tuesday (Feb 4), a total of 3.97 million tourists visited Thailand as of Feb 2, with Chinese visitors making up 710,687 of that number.
In January alone, arrivals surged 22% to reach 3.7mn, reports the Bangkok Post, citing a Bloomberg report.
The surge was partly driven by travel for Chinese New Year, which fell on Jan 29 this year. The ministry reported that 946,958 tourists arrived during the Lunar New Year holiday week, a 7.5% increase compared to the previous week. In 2023, Chinese New Year was observed on Feb 10, affecting year-on-year comparisons.
Thailand recently ramped up security measures following reports that some Chinese tour groups were canceling trips after the widely publicised abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing. The actor was allegedly trafficked to work in an illegal call centre in Myanmar near the Thai border before being rescued last month.
China remains Thailand’s largest source of foreign tourists, with 6.7mn arrivals recorded out of a total of 35.5mn visitors in 2024.
So far this year, Thailand has generated B195 billion in revenue from foreign travelers, the tourism ministry said. The country has set an ambitious target of earning B3.5 trillion from foreign and domestic tourism in 2024 ‒ matching pre-pandemic revenue levels seen in 2019.