Foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand up 24% in May

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) - Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports says up to 900,000 foreign tourists visited Thailand during the first half of the month of May, marking a 24 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanawarangkul said tourists from China and Malaysia took the top two positions in arrivals by nationality, with their numbers expected to grow even further, especially those arriving through Phuket International Airport. Thailand is targeting at least 28.8 million international visitors by the end of 2015, which may generate revenues of between 200 billion to 2.2 trillion baht. The capital city of Bangkok, as well as Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Samui have up to 77 percent of hotel reservations booked in March, with Chiang Mai and Bangkok seeing the highest growth in reservations. Twelve others cities with tourism potential include Trad, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Phetchabun, Trang, Chumpon, Chantaburi, Leoi, Nan, Buriram, Lam Pang, Ratchaburi, and Samut Songkram; with Trad and Trang having seen the highest hotel reservation rates. (TNA)