Thailand tourism business still enjoy growth

BANGKOK, Aug 21 (TNA) -- Tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2018 reached 22.6 million despite the Phuket boat accident and the current floods, announces the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The tour boat capsized that killed 48 Chinese people in late July has caused a one percent drop in Chinese tourists to Thailand but the number of tourist arrivals in the month grew more than two percent from the same month last year, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra said on Monday. Overall Thailand’s tourist arrivals reached 22.65 million during the first seven months of 2018, recording an increase of 11 percent from the same period of 2017, he said. The top three markets remained China, Malaysia and South Korea. Officials have warned that the Chinese tour boat accident could result in a loss of 619,000 trips and a big shrunk of tourism revenue. For the first six months, China supplied 5,931,000 tourist visits to Thailand up 25.88%. Mr Pongpanu said he expected the number Chinese tourists would increase, particularly during the Chinese National Day at the beginning of October. The Ministry still forecast that tourism revenue this year would surpass Bt3 trillion mark, Bt2 trillion from foreign tourists and the rest from domestic travelers. he added. (TNA)