PM sets 40m tourists goal

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra hopes the kingdom will welcome 40 million visitors this year, matching pre-Covid levels.

- MONGKOL BANGPRAPA

Ms Paetongtarn posted on her X account yesterday that the goal must be met as the sector is the nation’s chief economic driver.

She also touched on related tourism goals like spending-per-head figures and average length of stay, which she said must also be increased.

“The recent tourism figures have not been satisfactory,” she wrote.

“So I'd like to find new measures in today’s meeting. The same measures can no longer work,” Ms Paetongtarn continued.

She made the post after a meeting at Government House with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and agencies involved in the implementation of the government's tourism policy.

Referring to the “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025” campaign, Ms Paetongtarn stressed the need to find new “objectives”.

These include medical tourism, long-term stays, retirees’ stays, and digital nomads, all of which she said could encourage spending, the premier said.