Tourist numbers up by a fifth
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Thailand welcomed a total of 14.96 million foreign visitors during the first seven months of this year, an increase of 20.37% on the same period of 2012, according to government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi.
He said Thailand is performing above average in comparison to other countries around the world, given that global tourism growth is projected to stand at three to four per cent in 2013.
The top 10 foreign visitors to Thailand are from China, Malaysia, Russia, Japan, Korea, India, UK, Laos, Australia and Germany.
Mr Teerat said factors attracting foreign visitors to the country include the popularity of tourist destinations, the variety of Thai tourism products on offer and high value of money. However, there are still problems related to shortages of tour guides, and scams and crimes affecting tourists, he said.
During the same seven months, a total of 4.7 million Thais travelled overseas, up 7.10% from 2012. The top destinations for Thai tourists are countries in Southeast Asia.