According to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the festivities drew up to 506,136 foreign visitors to the country, a 6.2% rise, while tourism income generated rose by 16%, which saw earnings of 24.65 billion baht (US$789 million), Bangkok Post reported.
Foreign and domestic travel as well as tourism income saw increases this year during Thailand’s longer five-day Songkran celebrations compared to a year ago.
According to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the festivities drew up to 506,136 foreign visitors to the country, a 6.2% rise, while tourism income generated rose by 16%, which saw earnings of 24.65 billion baht (US$789 million), Bangkok Post reported.
The festival, which ran from April 12 to 16, saw increases in domestic travel trips and expenditure. As many as 3.1 million trips by locals contributed 10.4 billion baht in tourism income, up 12.4% and 20.5% respectively from last year, said Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary of the ministry.
Tourism income from international and domestic travellers during this period totalled 35.1 billion, up 12.1% from the same period last year, said Pongpanu.
South-east Asia countries and China were the main suppliers of foreign visitors this year.
Airbnb said its hosts in Thailand earned more than 165 million baht during Songkran, a 20% increase compared with the typical week last year.
Meanwhile, the accumulated road death toll during the “seven dangerous days” of Songkran jumped to 418 this year, up about 7% on last year from a total of 3,724 road accidents across the country, said the Road Safety Centre. Drink-driving was the major cause of fatal crashes this year, making up 40.28%.
Last year, the death toll from road accidents during Songkran reached 390 from 3,690 traffic accidents.