Thailand welcomes a record 38.27m tourists in 2018

[BANGKOK] Thailand saw a record 38.27 million tourists in 2018, up 7.5 per cent from the previous year, the Tourism Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry expects the number of tourists visiting the country this year to increase by 7.5.

Thailand's December tourist arrivals were 3.85 million, the ministry said in a statement.

For 2019, the ministry expects 41.1 million tourists to spend 2.21 trillion baht (S$95 billion). The number of visitors from China - Thailand's biggest source of tourists - is projected to rise 11 per cent to 11.69 million, it said.

Foreign tourist receipts account for about 12 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product.

REUTERS