BANGKOK - Thailand recorded over 20.81 million foreign tourist arrivals so far in 2025, marking a decline of 7.04 percent from a year earlier, official data showed on Tuesday.

With 2.93 million arrivals, China became the largest source of inbound visitors as of Aug 17, followed by Malaysia at 2.87 million, along with India, Russia, and South Korea, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

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The Southeast Asian country has generated approximately 966 billion baht (about $29.73 billion) in revenue from international tourists so far this year, the ministry said in a statement.

Tourism, the key driver of the nation's economic growth, accounted for 14.71 percent of its gross domestic product and 11.98 percent of employment in 2024.