Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged agencies concerned to streamline procedures so the country can achieve the target of receiving 25 million tourists this year, deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on July 2.

With this month’s introduction of the visa prescreening system (VPSS) by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Foreign Ministry to expedite the processing of applications for tourist visas, it is believed that the target will be met, she said.

As of June 25, the number of tourist arrivals in Thailand was 12.46 million, an increase of 539% compared to the same period last year. The top five countries as source of tourists were Malaysia (1.98 million), China (1.38 million), Russia (784,000), the Republic of Korea (741,000) and India (732,000).

She said according the TAT’s estimate, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Thailand will meet the target of 25 million, including 5 million from China./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency