The Thai tourism industry authorities announced positive tourism trend. The number of international tourist arrivals amounted to 2 million in October – up 21% compared to last year.
According to figures released by Permanent Secretary of Tourism and Sports, Pongpanu Svetarundra, tourist arrivals to Thailand generated revenues in excess of EUR 55 billion over the course of the first 10 months of 2017.
In October, most foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand were from East Asia, followed by Europe, South Asia, and North and South America, respectively.
Mr. Pongpanu said that the number of international tourist arrivals totaled more than two million in October, an increase of 21% relative to the previous year's performance.
Chinese tourists continue to represent the most important group, followed by tourists from Malaysia and Laos, while the biggest spenders are the Chinese, Russians, and Malays.
The Thai economy is expected to grow by 4% this year, the highest rate since 2012 according to the latest forecast from the Ministry of Finance.
This growth is mainly due to three factors: a recovery in exports, strong growth in the Thai tourism industy, and high agricultural incomes in the first half of this year.