The figures, which beat the government's target, reflect a solid turnaround as Thailand tries to revive its important tourism industry, which bore the brunt of its strict entry and quarantine policies during the pandemic.
In December, there were 2.24 million foreign tourists, compared with 230,497 in the same period a year earlier.Malaysia, India and Singapore were Thailand's top three source markets last year, the ministry said. In 2023, the government is expecting 25 million international visitors, including at least five million from China, Thailand's biggest source market before the pandemic.
China's reopening is expected to further boost Thailand's vital tourism, which before the pandemic accounted for about 12% of gross domestic product in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. —