Thailand eyes 10.5 lakh tourists from India in 2015

Thailand is aiming to clock 11 per cent increase in tourist arrivals from India to more than 10.5 lakh visitors in 2015 and plans to initiate aggressive promotional activities, an official said here today.
"India is among Thailand's top markets alongside China, Malaysia, Russia, Japan and Korea. In 2014, around 9.46 lakh travellers from India visited Thailand. We are planning to further strengthen India as our market and target over 10.5 lakh tourists from the sub-continent this year," Tourism Authority of Thailand's Mumbai Office Director Soraya Homchuen told PTI.
India is one of Thailand's most significant markets, ranking number one in South Asia and number six globally.

"If we achieve our target this year, India's position will be enhanced to number five globally," she said.
Thailand, a kingdom with Buddhist temples, exotic wildlife and spectacular islands had received overall 24.7 million tourists in 2014 and targets about 28 million this year.
Even as Thailand is popularly known as a budget destination, the country is now moving towards the luxury segment with some of its offerings like Kanchanaburi, Rayong and Ko Tao, among others.

"Indian leisure travellers initially choose Bangkok and Pattaya but a large chunk (about 60 per cent) consisting of repeat visitors explore places like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, Chiang Rai, Krabi and Ayutthaya," she said.

The more experienced travellers usually head to Kanchanaburi, Rayong, Ko Tao and Ko Chang.
Thailand plans to promote the country through Indian film makers, she said.
"Bollywood presents a visual treat through which we could also promote tourism by showcasing our unique locales," she said.
Thailand also plans to enhance segments like Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions (MICE), honeymooners, seniors as well as special interest groups like golfers, divers and bikers, besides getting them to increase the average length of stay and average spend, she said.