China continues to dominate Thailand’s inbound tourist arrivals chart as the country enjoyed a bumper August with 3,133,411 visits up 8.6% on August 2016.

August was the fourth month, this year, that saw arrivals exceed 3 million, the second highest after January when visits reached 3,197,053.

Other peak travel months when visits exceeded 3 million were March and July.

Based on the current performance tourism officials are confident visits will exceed 35 million by the end of the year. In 2016 the country registered 32.6 million visits.

January to August arrivals touched 23,545,093, up 5.36%  over the same period last year. The figures are preliminary identified by a “P” on Ministry of Tourism and Sports data to indicate they could be revised at a later date.

“During August tourism spend was up 11.72% to reach THB163.48 billion,” the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Pongpanu Svetarundra, told a press briefing earlier this week.

He fielded questions on the 8% surge in the value of Thai baht against the US dollar, stating it would have marginal impact on tourism earnings, for the remainder of the year.

Most Asian nations have seen their currencies strengthen against the US dollar and they are the main source for Thailand’s tourist arrivals.

August figures and those for the eight months so far, show China dominates Thailand’s travel supply chain.

If there was ever a blimp in that pattern it would drive the tourism industry to hit the panic button, as it did during last year’s crackdown on zero-dollar tours.

In August alone, China generated 982,212 visits up 10.30%. It was just short of half of all the visits from the top supply region, East Asia, that generated 2,260, 337 visits, up  9.56% on August 2016.

Second placed Malaysia, that used to be Thailand’s number one supply market for decades, generated 277,606 trips up 9.52%.

Other peak travel months when visits exceeded 3 million were March and July.

So where did tourists come from in August?

• China, 982,212 +10.30%

• Malaysia, 277,606 +9.52%

• South Korea, 164,001 +16.52%

• Japan, 162,703 +5.03%

• Laos,158,377 +4.18%

• India, 116,376 +14.77%

• Hong Kong, 93,136 +8.88%

• Vietnam, 90,502 +9.17%

• Cambodia, 82,776 +20.84%

• Singapore, 81,366 + 21.2%.

Most Asian nations have seen their currencies strengthen against the US dollar and they are the main source for Thailand’s tourist arrivals. January to August revenue reached an estimated 1.19 trillion THB, an increase of 7.47% over the same period last year. Tourism earnings represent 12% of Thailand’s total GDP.

August figures, and those for the eight months so far, show China dominates Thailand’s travel supply chain. If there was ever a blip in that pattern it would drive the tourism industry to hit the panic button, as it did during last year’s crackdown on zero-dollar tours.

In 2016 Thailand registered 32.6 million visits. Based on the current performance tourism officials are confident visits will exceed 35 million by the end of the 2017.