The centre’s estimates are based on the 6.4 million foreign arrivals recorded in the first two months of this year, a 50% jump year on year.
Data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows that in January and February, the number of visitors from certain countries had already bounced back to the 2019 pre-Covid level. These include visitors from Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, India, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
The centre predicted that foreign arrivals by the end of the first quarter would reach 9.32 million, increasing 42.7% year on year, and showing a positive sign for the rest of the year.
KResearch attributed the jump in foreign arrivals to Thailand’s improving economy and the government’s short- and long-term tourism promotion policies. The most outstanding one is the visa-free policy that has been implemented since September last year beginning with a five-month visa exemption for visitors from China and Kazakhstan, followed by India and Taiwan in November, the centre said.
From March 1, Thailand and China have mutually waived visa requirements for their citizens permanently.