According to figures released by the tourism ministry on Tuesday, Thailand attracted 11,15 million international tourists in 2022, a significant increase from the previous year, when widespread travel restrictions were in place due to the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Thailand's essential tourism industry faced the brunt of its rigorous entrance and quarantine laws; as a result, the results surpassed the government's goal and indicated a significant turnaround.

In December, there were 2.24 million foreign tourists, compared to 230,497 during the same month in the previous year.

Pre-pandemic 2019 had a record number of approximately 40 million international visitors for the entire year.

The ministry reported Malaysia, India, and Singapore as Thailand's top three source markets in 2017.

The government anticipates 25 million international visitors in 2023, including at least five million from China, Thailand's most significant source market before the pandemic.

The government approved a budget of 3.95 billion baht ($120.72 million) to promote domestic and international travel to secondary cities.

China's reopening is anticipated to significantly improve Thailand's key tourism sector, which amounted to approximately 12 per cent of Thailand's gross domestic product before the epidemic.