Thailand's tourism industry aims to increase revenue from international visitors to $65 billion.

Thủ tướng Thái Lan Srettha Thavisin gặp gỡ lãnh đạo doanh nghiệp Pháp vào ngày 8-3 - Ảnh: GOVERNMENT HOUSE OF THAILAND — Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met with French business leaders on March 8th - Photo: GOVERNMENT HOUSE OF THAILAND

The Thai government aims to attract 40 million foreign tourists this year, generating 2.3 trillion baht (over $65 billion) in revenue.

Accordingly, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expects the country to attract around 8.5 million tourists from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East – generating revenue of up to 664 billion baht (nearly 19 billion USD).

According to Mr. Thavisin, Thailand welcomed 28 million international tourists in 2023, generating revenue of nearly 1.2 trillion baht (almost 34 billion USD).

"Tourism not only contributes to the economy but also provides job opportunities for a large portion of the Thai population," the Prime Minister shared.

According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the Vietnamese tourism industry aims to welcome 17-18 million international visitors in 2024, significantly higher than the number of international visitors to Vietnam in 2023 (12.6 million).

Furthermore, Mr. Thavisin affirmed that the Thai government will utilize all available resources to promote the tourism industry.

Previously, the Thai government had proposed and implemented various policies to promote the tourism industry.

The first step is to issue temporary visas to citizens who have arrived from Russia, India, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan within the past five months.

Next, Thailand and China further signed a long-term visa waiver agreement with each other, effective from March 1, 2024.

The Thai government also seeks to increase its "soft power" by promoting famous traditional cultural events and activities to the world, such as the Songkran water festival and Muay Thai.

In addition, they have added a series of new regulations related to all-night entertainment and blood alcohol levels.

The Thai Prime Minister revealed that the government is negotiating with European countries in the Schengen area on visa-free travel. At the same time, Thailand is also seeking to persuade ASEAN member states to join the "one visa, travel everywhere" program.

In addition, Thailand is also making efforts to promote other provinces and cities besides those already famous like the capital Bangkok and Chiang Mai province.

“(Thailand) has many interesting local cultures and hidden gems within its lesser-known cities. We are working to promote these unique values and create exciting experiences for visitors,” Thavisin added.

Mr. Thavisin met with several French business leaders in Paris on March 8th to discuss investment opportunities in Thailand.

He also met with Pascal Morand, president of the French Haute Couture Association, to discuss the possibility of making Thailand a fashion and design hub in Southeast Asia.

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