Thailand expects to receive 1.7 mln Russian tourists in 2024

MOSCOW. March 18 (Interfax) - Tourist flow from Russia to Thailand surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and the kingdom is planning to host around 1.7 million Russian visitors this year, Tourism Authority of Thailand Executive Director for Europe, Africa and Middle East Chirawadee Khunsub said.

In 2023, more than 1.4 million Russian travelers arrived in Thailand, she said, adding that the authorities are planning to improve the result by 300,000. In other words, Thailand is expecting to see a 14-15% increase in Russian tourists from the previous year in 2024, Khunsub told a press conference in Moscow on Monday.

During high season, high-quality hotels, particularly five-star hotels, which are very popular among Russian tourists, often experience shortages of vacant rooms, she said.

In view of this, one of Thailand's tourism strategies is popularizing less famous tourist towns located near popular tourist destinations, she said. In particular, Krabi and Khao Lak could be an alternative to Phuket. Khunsub also sees a potential alternative to Pattaya in the south of the same Chonburi province, and the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand.

Since the beginning of 2024, Thailand has received 417,600 tourists. This is a 7.7% increase on a year-on-year basis.