Int'l tourist arrivals in Thailand projected at over 38m in 2018

BANGKOK, October 4 (TNA) - The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has maintained its projection on the total number of international tourist arrivals in the country at 38.3 million in 2018. Speaking to journalists on the updated forecast figure on October 3, BOT Assistant Governor for Monetary Policy Group Jaturong Jantarangs mentioned as a short term impact on a recent drop in the number of Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand. "Although the number of Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand dropped by 11.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2018, to 867,461, following recent incidents, in which a tourist boat was stricken by a storm and strong waves and capsized off resort Phuket Province in the Thai South, causing dozens of casualties among Chinese visitors, and a Chinese visitor suspected of illegal entry into the Thai Kingdom was hit by a security guard at Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, the psychologically-negative impact should be a short-term one, observed by a rising trend of the number of Chinese visitors to the Thai Kingdom, thanks to new tourist promotional campaigns in the immense Chinese market and intensified safety and security measures for international visitors launched by relevant parties in the country", Jaturong pointed out. Besides, the higher number of other foreign visitors to Thailand than earlier expected in the second quarter of this year has offset a recent decline in the number of Chinese visitors to the country. In 2019, the BOT assistant governor said it is now believed that the total number of international tourist arrivals in Thailand should reach 40.6 million. According to the BOT assistant governor, the Thai economy should also keep expanding by about 4.4 per cent year-on-year this year and by about 4.2 per cent year-on-year next year, driven mainly by rising private consumption and investment, as well as by growing Thai exports, while the country's inflation should remain at a low level of about 1.1 per cent in both 2018 and 2019. The BOT assistant governor conceded that there are remaining risk factors against Thailand's economic growth, including some negative impacts from the ongoing trade war between the United States and major trading partners, economic problems in emerging markets and a slowdown in domestic consumption in some Thai areas. (TNA)