BANGKOK: Thailand’s economy is expected to grow 3.8 per cent this year, helped by a rebound in the vital tourism sector, while inflation should cool to its target range, the finance minister said on Saturday (Feb 25).
Domestic spending has increased and the government will accelerate large project investment to help growth, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told a Radio Thailand programme.
As the global slowdown hurts exports, “tourism is our hope”, he said.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy expanded a weaker-than-expected 2.6 per cent last year, lagging that of others in the region as its tourism sector just started to pick up.
The finance ministry has forecast 27.5 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, after Thailand beat its forecast in 2022 with 11.15 million visitors. There were nearly 40 million foreign tourists in pre-pandemic 2019.
Arkhom told Reuters this month that economic growth could beat forecasts, with the return of Chinese tourists.