As international travel and tourism recover from the COVID-19 epidemic, Thailand anticipates welcoming over 11 million foreign tourists this year. The number of international tourists visiting Thailand next year is projected to hit 20 million, according to the country’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), bringing the country back to its pre-pandemic visitor numbers.

Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha greeted guests at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday, as the country marked the 10 millionth tourist arrival to Thailand.

The TAT said that the milestone of 10 million was achieved earlier than planned. It’s expected that 11 million tourists will arrive this year, with 70,000 arriving each and every day from outside.

The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, recently stated that the TAT now projects 20 million international tourists in 2019, generating around 2.38 trillion baht in income.

The Prime Minister extended his gratitude to all parties involved and urged the Thai people to extend their best hospitality.

Government officials, he added, intend to make tourism once again the country’s primary economic engine, and they promise to treat all guests to a real display of hospitality.