VISITOR ARRIVALS TO THAILAND REACH 3.96 MILLION IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS

International visitor arrivals to Thailand totalled 3,990,615 during January-May 2000, a significant increase of 11.27% over the same period of 1999.

Arrivals from major markets included East Asia (2,379,884), Europe (983,875), America (252,410), South Asia (130,916), Oceania (142,635), the Middle East (69,985) and Africa (30,910).

Visitor arrivals increased from all countries except Brazil, Austria, Brunei and Italy which recorded slight declines.

Japanese visitors were the biggest source market with a 12.36% (493,369) share of overall visitors to Thailand during January-May 2000. This was followed by Malaysians (10.89% or 434,443), Chinese (9.19% or 366,827), Taiwanese (6.68% or 266,534) and Singaporeans (6.10% or 243,383).

February recorded the largest number of international visitor arrivals (879,526), up 12.57% over the same month of 1999.

Also during the January-May 2000 period, male visitors comprised a bigger share of 60.12%, but female visitors experienced a much higher growth rate of 13.11%. About 51.77% of the international visitors were first-timers while 56.41% travelled on their own arrangements.

Most international visitors to Thailand were aged between 25-34 (25.96%) and 35-44 (24.01%) years while visitors between 15-24 showed the highest growth of 14.26%.

A total of 88% were in Thailand for a holiday. Although business travellers and convention delegates comprised only 9.04% and 0.95% of the total visitors, respectively, both recorded a healthy growth of 21.04% and 29.13%. The average length of stay was about 8.14 days.

The growth is apparently continuing. Latest statistics for visitor arrivals between January-June 2000 just at Bangkok International Airport showed a total of 3.34 million, a healthy rise of 11.32% over the same period of 1999.

According to Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Pradech Phayakvichien, “If this trend continues, Thailand should be able to end the year 2000 with a total of 9.12 million international visitor arrivals, well above the estimated target of 8.8 million.”

One of the most important reasons is the 2000 Sydney Olympics which will help attract pre- and post-Olympics stopover visitors to Thailand during the months of September and October 2000.

On the outbound front, the figures also show that the number of Thais travelling overseas totalled 841,983 during January-May 2000, an increase of 16% over the same period of 1999. The average length of stay of outgoing Thais during Janurary-May 2000 was 11.28 days.

In the same period, the number of foreign expatriates living in Thailand travelling overseas totalled 16,052, a sharp increase of 18.29%.