Indians lead tourist rush in Thailand as arrivals top 2 million – Times of India

Tourists lounge under umbrellas along Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand (AP)

Indian and Malaysian tourists are leading the crowd after Thailand eased entry rules, totaling more than 2 million arrivals since the start of the year and fueling the Southeast Asian country’s sluggish economy.
Foreign tourist arrivals totaled 2.03 million between January 1 and June 26, the government’s deputy spokeswoman for Treasury Taysaranakul said in a statement on Monday. He said that travelers from India, Malaysia, UK, Singapore and the US top the list.
Thailand’s tourism industry, which was nearly wiped out during the pandemic, expects average monthly arrivals to rise to around 1.5 million with the country abolishing pre-travel registration and compulsory medical insurance from July 1.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy has rolled back most of the pandemic-era restrictions on travel and businesses, and last week lifted a mask mandate allowing pubs and bars to return to normal operating hours. The measures are part of efforts to shore up an economy that before the pandemic relied on tourism to generate about 12% of GDP.
The gradual reopening of nightlife entertainment venues has brought an end to some of the toughest pandemic-era restrictions and is seen as a key to enticing more foreign tourists in the June-September period, which is considered a major boost for Thai tourism. Considered low season.
A weak currency and recent cannabis legalization could help bring more tourists back to Thailand, Tourism and Sports Minister Phifat Ratchakitprakarn said last week. He said the ministry made a “conservative” forecast of attracting 7.5 million foreign arrivals this year, based on the assumption that Chinese tourists would be absent due to that country’s COVID-zero policy and factoring in the war in Ukraine, he said. Told.
While Thailand is unlikely to see pre-Covid levels of tourist arrivals without Chinese visitors, the gradual easing of travel restrictions for students and business authorities and the resumption of flights between the two countries will see holidays in the second half. has offered optimism of the return of the Treasury, the Treasury said. in a statement on Sunday.
Chinese tourists made up about 30% of the total 40 million tourists that Thailand received in 2019, a year before the pandemic, according to official figures.