Thailand received 23.4 million foreign tourists between January 1 and October 3. That is 3.88 percent fewer than in the same period last year. China was the biggest source of visitors, with Malaysia, India, Russia, and South Korea next.
Heavy rain is now a worry for the coming peak season. In late September, nearly 300 millimeters of rain fell on Bangkok in three days. That is roughly the amount the city usually gets in the whole of September. The city was declared a disaster-affected zone. Flooding disrupted the main airport, with long delays and many canceled flights. The tourism minister said the flooding news had not directly hurt tourism. He expected arrivals to ease in the week after October 3. Travel from China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Malaysia was returning to normal after long holidays.