Hoang Vu August 15, 2024 | 7:22 PM PST
People splash around in water during the Songkran festival parade celebrating Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 14, 2023. Photo courtesy of Reuters
Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-largest economy after Indonesia, has welcomed 21.7 million foreign tourists so far this year, with tourists from China and Malaysia leading the way.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chinese tourists continued to be the country's largest source of visitors, reaching 4.39 million between January 1 and August 11, followed by Malaysians (3 million), Indians (1.2 million), South Koreans (1.1 million) and Russians (1.03 million).
So far this year, Thailand has generated 1.03 trillion baht ($29.4 billion) in tourism revenue.
The country aims to attract 36.7 million foreign tourists by the end of this year.
Starting July 22, Thailand expanded its 60-day visa-free visa-free visa program for tourism and short-term business purposes from 57 countries and regions to 93.
Additionally, Thailand has introduced the Destination Thailand Visa, which allows digital nomads, freelancers and visitors interested in learning skills such as cooking or martial arts to stay for up to 180 days. This visa is valid for five years.
In 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Thailand, whose economy relies heavily on tourism, welcomed a record 39.9 million foreign tourists, generating revenue of 1.91 trillion baht ($51.9 billion).
