Foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand rise 10.87pc in Jan

The number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand rose 10.87 per cent in January from a year earlier, led by visitors from China, Malaysia, Russia and South Korea, the government said on Wednesday.

The 3.54 million International tourist who arrived in January spent 189 billion baht ($6.00 billion), Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent-secretary of the tourism and sports ministry, said in a statement.

Tourism receipts account for about 12 per cent of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, making it one of the most important drivers of Thailand’s growth, reports Reuters.

The ministry expects 37.55 million visitors to spend 2.1 trillion baht this year, after welcoming a record 35.38 million foreign tourists last year.