By now, you have probably known that Thailand is one of the most popular travel destinations for Malaysians. In fact, Malaysian tourists made up the largest number of foreign travellers in Thailand in 2023 with a whopping 4,626,422 visitors.
Thailand’s popularity with Malaysians ain’t waning anytime soon too, as the Land of Smiles recorded 1.39 million Malaysian visitors from 1 January to 16 April 2024. With that in mind, have you ever wondered how much revenue Malaysian tourists contributed to Thailand last year?
Malaysians spent RM4.6 BILLION in Thailand in 2023
Well, according to the Consul General of Malaysia in Songkhla Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi, tourists from our country spent a whopping RM4.6 BILLION in Thailand in 2023.
Ahmad Fahmi was quoted by the Malay publication Utusan Malaysia as saying that the RM4.6 billion is an estimation based on the number of tourists from our country visiting Thailand throughout last year.
The Consul General of Malaysia in Songkhla added that the RM4.6 billion is from the presumption that each Malaysian visiting Thailand last year spent RM1,000 each in the country.
Ahmad Fahmi further asserted that he expects more Malaysians to visit Thailand this year compared to 2023 based on the trend of visitor arrivals in the Kingdom.
Thailand generated a total of RM161.52 BILLION from international tourists last year
For reference, Thailand generated RM161.52 BILLION overall revenue from all international tourists last year.
Furthermore, the Kingdom is on track to match or even surpass the revenue from 2023 this year, as the country recorded RM67.41 BILLION revenue from international tourists from January to mid-April 2024.
So, what do you guys think of Thailand’s popularity among Malaysian tourists and how it has benefited the country economically? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Kelantan Police Urges M’sians to Postpone Trip to Thailand After Recent Bomb Blast