Thailand records 11.84 million foreign visitors
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Thailand records 11.84 million foreign visitors

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Thai and Chinese tourists visit a Bangkok temple during this year's Songkran holiday. Chinese arrivals continued to dip after Songkran this year. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Thai and Chinese tourists visit a Bangkok temple during this year's Songkran holiday. Chinese arrivals continued to dip after Songkran this year. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)

Thailand has received 11.84 million foreign tourist arrivals so far this year, up 0.12% from the same period a year earlier, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported on Tuesday.

The arrivals included 1.6 million visitors from China, the ministry said.

The ministry is maintaining its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals at 38 million this year, despite the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar on March 28 that also caused deaths and damage in Bangkok.

However, Thai tourism operators have warned the government that the country risks losing its competitive edge if it fails to respond quickly to China's aggressive enhancement of its tax policies, which includes offering a 13% refund rate on tax-free shopping to attract more tourist spending.        

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