Thailand’s largest group of foreign tourists come from Malaysia

In July, Malaysians made up the largest portion of Thailand’s foreign arrivals, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Thailand welcomed 220,554 Malaysian tourists in July, most of them arriving via the land border crossing in Songkhla province.

In a post-pandemic world, Malaysian travel to Thailand has never been easier, with the removal of Thailand Pass and insurance requirements.

The Shuttle Train service which connects Hat Yai in Thailand to Padang Besar in Malaysia also resumed services in July, making travel between the two countries much more convenient. The one hour journey costs only 50 baht (7 Malaysian ringgits).

Other top countries sending tourists in July were…

2. India (106,139)

3. Vietnam (60,981)

4. South Korea (59,226)

5. Singapore (56,673)

6. Cambodia (51,841)

7. Laos (49,299)

8. The Unites States (43,923)

9. The United Kingdom (40,596)

10. Australia (36,525)

Thai tourism to Malaysia is also booming, with Thais taking the second spot for the highest number of foreign arrivals in Malaysia after Singaporeans. Thailand is one of Malaysia’s essential short-haul markets. Tourist arrivals from Thailand could reach 800,000 by the end of 2022, according to TTR Weekly.

In August, “Tourism Malaysia” visited Bangkok and Songkhla to advertise Thai travel to Malaysia. The roadshow also promoted trade between the neighbouring countries.

However, Indonesia has overtaken both Thailand and Malaysia in tourism rankings for the first time ever. On Friday, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs said that Indonesia has risen to number 32 in the latest Travel and Tourism Development Index rankings, with a score of 4.4 – rising from the country’s previous rank at 44 with a score of 4.2.

SOURCE: ThaiPBS