More UK visitors to Thailand in '06

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has revealed that some 745,525 people visited the Asian country from the UK in 2006, 9.48 per cent more than the previous year.

Arrivals from Ireland totalled 56,994, 14 per cent more than in 2005, bringing the total number of visitors from the UK and Ireland to over 800,000.

The busiest month of 2006 was December, when 86,210 British visitors arrived on Thai soil, an increase of nearly ten per cent on 12 months earlier.

Tanes Petsuwan, director of TAT London, said: 'We are delighted with Thailand's progress and TAT far exceeded its target of 700,000 UK visitors thanks to a large influx towards the end of the year.

'Full credit must be given to our partners for their continued support.'

On a global basis, the UK and Ireland have the sixth largest number of visitors to Thailand, after Malaysia, Japan, Korea, China and Singapore.

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