Thailand hits 10m visitors in 2022 as tourism recovers

Thailand celebrated the arrival of its 10 millionth international visitor of 2022 on Saturday, according to the tourism authority, as the kingdom consolidated the recovery of its Covid-battered travel sector. Thailand welcomed some 40m people in 2019, but then the pandemic hit and travel was decimated as nations tightened border controls to contain the coronavirus. With those restrictions easing worldwide Thailand's travel numbers have begun a slow recovery and the government expects to generate nearly $16b in tourism revenue this year. Traditional dancers and drummers at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Saturday welcomed passengers arriving on a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight that authorities believe clocked the 10m milestone. "The sky is open," Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said in a speech at the airport. "We would like to build confidence that Thailand is still one of the (top) tourist destinations of people around the world."<br/>