Malaysia has emerged as Thailand’s leading source of foreign tourists this year, with more than 4.06 million Malaysians visiting the kingdom as of November 16.
Thailand recorded a total of 28.28 million foreign tourist arrivals from January 1 to November 16, according to Natthriya Taweewong, permanent secretary of Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry. She said the top five source countries were Malaysia, followed by China with 3.95 million visitors, India at 2.11 million, Russia at 1.53 million, and South Korea with 1.34 million.
“Overall, foreign tourist arrivals this year have generated approximately 1.31 trillion Baht (RM167.8 billion) in tourism revenue,” Natthriya said in a statement on Tuesday. Short-haul markets, led by Malaysia, have continued to perform strongly over the past week.
Thailand expects tourist numbers to rise further in the coming week, supported by consecutive public holidays in Japan and the beginning of the high-season travel period for both short- and long-haul markets.
Natthriya highlighted Thailand’s Ease of Travelling initiatives, including the exemption of the TM6 arrival card and efforts to encourage airlines to increase flight frequencies, as key measures to boost inbound tourism.
Last Thursday, the Tourism and Sports Ministry unveiled its target to generate 2.8 trillion Baht in tourism revenue by 2026, coinciding with the launch of the “Trusted Thailand” symbol, which aims to strengthen traveller confidence and attract more visitors.
Bernama
