Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand on May 1, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BANGKOK - Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pledged on Friday to enact measures aimed at boosting the number of Chinese tourists to the country.

The Pheu Thai Party in a statement quoted Srettha as saying during his visit to the tourist island of Phuket that the return of Chinese tourists remains below pre-pandemic levels and stressed the need to ease entry restrictions while enhancing overall confidence in Thailand as a travel destination.

In a social media post, Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin set a goal to increase Thailand's tourism revenue from 1.9 trillion baht (about $54 billion) to 3.3 trillion baht (about $94 billion) by 2024

Srettha highlighted the tourism sector as a key driver of economic recovery, particularly in the short term. With the upcoming peak tourist season in a couple of months, he emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts between the government and businesses to prepare for the anticipated influx of visitors.

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He also revealed plans to expand airports in popular tourist cities such as Chiang Mai and Phuket, aiming to accommodate the anticipated surge in tourist arrivals.

In a social media post, Srettha set a goal to increase Thailand's tourism revenue from 1.9 trillion baht (about $54 billion) to 3.3 trillion baht (about $94 billion) by 2024.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the kingdom is on course to meet the whole-year foreign tourist target of 25 million, compared with 11.15 million in 2022.

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In 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for about 28 percent of the nearly 40 million foreign tourists to Thailand.