BANGKOK- Thailand saw 3.78 million tourist arrivals from January to Aug 17, a government official said.
The arrivals, mainly from Malaysia, India and Singapore, generated revenues of 176 billion baht ($4.93 billion), said TaweesinVisanuyothin, a spokesperson for the government’s COVID-19 taskforce.
Thailand will extend the duration of its visa-on-arrival, which applies to nationals of India, China and Saudi Arabia, from 15 days to 30 days starting in October, said Taweesin. The measure is aimed at boosting the tourism sector as it recovers from a pandemic-induced slump.
Last year, the foreign arrivals plummeted to just 428,000 because of the pandemic, compared with a record of nearly 40 million in 2019, contributing to about 12 percent of GDP.
Thailand’s economy likely grew at its fastest pace in a year last quarter, thanks to increased tourism as pandemic curbs eased, but the high cost of living and a slowdown in China pose threats to the outlook, a Reuters poll showed.
Growth in the tourism-dependent economy is estimated at 3.1 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, according to the median forecast of 16 economists, up from 2.2 percent growth in the previous quarter.
The government has estimated foreign tourist arrivals will reach 10 million this year. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the economy was expected to grow 3.3 percent this year and 4.2 percent next year, helped by increased tourism. – Reuters