Thailand Targets 5 Million to 15 Million Foreign Tourists this Year

KONTAN.CO.ID - BANGKOK, May 6 (Reuters) - Thailand is aiming for 5 million to 15 million foreign tourist arrivals this year as the country further eases travel restrictions to support the key tourism sector, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

The Southeast Asian country removed on-arrival COVID-19 tests from May 1, the latest measure aimed at reviving its battered tourism industry which generally accounts for about 12% of gross domestic product. 

Tourists are expected to spend between 630 billion baht ($18.35 billion) and 1.2 trillion baht this year, government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement, citing the Tourism Authority of Thailand's projection.

The predicted tourist numbers would be a substantial improvement on the 428,000 foreign arrivals in 2021, but still far short of the nearly 40 million visitors in 2019 who spent about 1.91 trillion baht.

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From January to April, Thailand received 742,386 foreign tourists and the number is expected to rise significantly, Thanakorn said.

In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, an economic task force on Friday approved extending support for the domestic travel industry to September from May, including a 40% government subsidy on another 1 million room nights.

Domestic tourism is expected to generate about 660 billion baht this year, Thanakorn said.

The tourism industry, however, may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2026, according to Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput.