Tourists visiting Thailand in 2012 to set record of over 20 million

BANGKOK, January 2 (TNA) - Tourists visiting Thailand in 2012 are expected to exceed 20 million, setting a new record in the past four decades, said Charoen Wang-ananont, spokesman of Federation of Thai Tourism Association (FTTA). Mr. Charoen, also president of Thai Tourism Services Association, said there are positive signs that Thailand’s tourism industry in 2012 are expected to remain rosy as last year as the number of foreign tourists visiting the country is expected to hit the target of 20 million, the target set in 2011 but which succumbed to severe floods in the last quarter. He said this year’s target could be achieved if there are no political troubles in the country. Thai travelers visiting foreign countries this year are projected to exceed six million, also a new record for locals leaving abroad, due to convenient in travelling, he said. Chinese tourists visiting Thailand rank top on the list followed by Japanese and South Korean. The Japanese tourist industry wants the number of Thais visiting Japan to hit 500,000 persons in two years while it promises to bring in 1.5 million Japanese tourists to visit this country on the condition that no more troubles erupt in Thailand. Simultaneously, tourism in the northern capital of Chiang Mai is booming during the New Year festival as many revelers flock in to the city to pay respects to several prominent temples and enjoy the cool weather. A similar scene is seen at a village in Phitsanulok’s Chat Trakan district where revelers visited the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. They also went atop a mountain to watch the sun rises above the historical site and viewed the sea of fog before dawn amid the temperature which dropped to about 15 degrees Celsius. In the northernmost province of Chiang Rai, several thousands of tourists went atop Phu Chi Fah mountain to view the scenic beauty of sea fog before dawn under the watchful eyes of national park officials on fears that tourists might slip from the cliff. (TNA)