Thailand prepares to welcome more tourists from Malaysia and India starting 1 July

Thailand welcomed some 430,000 foreign visitors in 2021

Thai authorities have removed most of the restrictions placed on travel and business during the pandemic, according to Thai PBS World. Mask requirements were lifted last week, allowing pubs and bars to resume regular business hours. Those measures were taken to support an economy that, before the pandemic, depended largely on tourism to generate 12 percent of the country’s GDP.

In 2019, Thailand welcomed 40 million visitors, with over 30 percent of them coming from China. After Thailand dropped its entry requirements, Indians and Malaysians are currently driving the tourist influx in the country.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he does not expect an increase in Chinese arrivals, due to current lockdowns in some Chinese cities.

Malaysian tourists are projected to surpass the number of visitors coming from India after the requirement for the Thailand Pass is lifted starting 1 July.

More: Thailand sees highest hotel booking volumes since 2020

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha introduced “SMILES,” a brainstorming framework, during his keynote speech at the Thailand Tourism Congress 2022, reported The Phuket News.

SMILES stands for:

• Sustainability
• Manpower
• Inclusive Economy
• Localisation
• Ecosystems
• Social Innovation

Through this strategy, Prayut stated that the government is prepared to assist, promote, and work together to address issues related to tourism by generating ideas and collectively developing tourism initiatives.

The number of international tourists is expected to reach 2.7 to three million from June through September, and more than a million between October and December 2022, according to Thailand Business News. Thailand expects to bring in THB1.2 trillion (USD34 billion) to THB1.5 trillion (USD42.6 billion) in international tourism this year.

The Ministry of Tourism noted that post-pandemic recovery could generate at least THB2.4 trillion (USD68.2 billion) next year, and THB3 trillion (USD85.2 billion) in 2024. 

Thailand welcomed some 430,000 foreign visitors in 2021. This year, from January through May, this number increased to 1.31 million.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].