Over 1.2 million Indian tourists visited Thailand during January-September this year, registering a steep 16 per cent increase over the same period of 2016, a senior official of Tourism Authority of Thailand said here today.
The South Asian country, which is mainly known for its tropical beaches and cuisines, is expecting this figure to further go up by the close of this year.
"...from January-September 2017, we have already received 1.2 million tourists from India, which is 16 per cent increase. And by the end of this year, the figure will further increase," Isra Stapanaseth, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi, told reporters at the Chandigarh international airport here.
A little over one million Indian tourists had visited Thailand in 2016.
He was interacting on the sidelines after Chandigarh today got air connectivity with Bangkok, with Air India launching a direct flight to the famous south-east Asian tourist destination.
Stapanaseth said his country was a popular destination for the Indian tourists and he hoped with the addition of this flight, more and more people, especially from Punjab region, can save on time and be able to travel conveniently.
"This flight will help people travelling (to Thailand) from cities like Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Manali, Shimla, Dehradun. It will make travelling more convenient for people from these cities to catch a flight from here," he said.
"We are hoping that with the addition of this direct flight from here, it will facilitate people who travel for pleasure, for wedding celebrations, corporates and other travellers, who can reach Bangkok in less than five hours," he said.
He said Thailand has much to offer for the Indian tourists and packages can be worked for budget tourists to high-end tourists.
"You get value for money for quality destination. Thailand also has much to offer to people who are planning grand wedding celebrations and it is also popular among the honeymooners as well.
For budget tourists, a week's stay can cost him anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, he said.
"Besides Bangkok and Phuket, tourists can explore Pattaya, then there is Chiang Mai, famous destination in north of Thailand and on the east coast you have Elephant Island," he said.
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