Being #2 isn’t the end of the world, being part of the top 10 is still already something; now there are the usual two opposing sides of discussion, one that “Oh this is the beginning of the end for Thailand’s tourism” or “This is just a bump in the continued growth of Thailand’s tourism market.” I’m with the second school of thought.

Thailand suffered many months of political unrest that culminated in the 12th coup d’état in its modern history in May, when the military junta removed the nation’s elected government. Army leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha formally took over the duties of prime minister on May 22, after failing to broker an end to a seven-month feud pitting the government against protesters in the deeply divided country.

The study estimates this year London will attract 18.7 million visitors, who will spend a total of about $19.3 billion, while Bangkok will get 16.4 million visitors. Bangkok’s share in the estimated spending is more modest at $13 billion, according to the report.

Source: WSJ