BANGKOK - Thailand welcomed nearly 2 million foreign tourists in the first six months this year, with Malaysians being the top five visitors to the kingdom.
Statistics provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports showed a total of 178,368 Malaysians travelled to Thailand from January 1 to 25 June.
During the same period, a total of 1.91 million international tourists visited Thailand and spent 1.11 billion baht.
Indian tourists topped the list with 212,907, followed by Malaysia, Singapore (119,564), the United Kingdom (116,948) and the United States (98,557).
From June 1 to 26, a total of 597,298 foreign visitors entered Thailand including 119,460 visitors via land checkpoints.
"A total of 69,768 Malaysians travelled via land checkpoints while another 32,180 via air to Thailand from June 1 to 26," it said.
Starting July 1, travellers entering Thailand will no longer need to apply for the 'Thailand Pass' and purchase COVID-19 insurance prior to their entry.
Thailand is expected to receive seven to 10 million foreign tourists this year with the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions in the country.
However, deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Traisoranakul said total foreign visitors could exceed 10 million this year.
Thailand was visited by nearly 40 million people who spent about 1.91 trillion baht in 2019. - Bernama