Napasorn Kakai, TAT’s director in Ho Chi Minh City, said more than 2.4 million tourists from these countries had visited Thailand last year, generating income of Bt65 billion.

Some 1.2 million were from Laos, 760,000 from Vietnam, and 490,000 from Cambodia.

She said the authority expected the number of visitors from these markets to reach 2.6 million this year, and to climb to 3 million in 2017.

“Indochinese countries are becoming more interesting markets for the Thai tourism industry because they now have many more wealthy people, and their citizens are ready to travel abroad – and Thailand is one of their favourite destinations,” she added.

In order to increase the number of quality tourists from Indochina, the authority is planning to promote more destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai and other cities, along with established medical and wellness services at a lower cost than similar offerings in other countries.

Following Thai Vietjet’s announcement that it would be operating more routes between Vietnam and Thailand, as well as within Thailand, the TAT will encourage young Vietnamese travellers and families to visit the Kingdom, particularly during the main school break in July and August each year.

“The Vietnamese market has the highest potential among the three [Indochinese |countries], as the country has more direct flights to Thailand. Last year, 4.5 million Vietnamese travelled abroad, but just 760,000 came to Thailand – chiefly only for Bangkok and Pattaya. If we put Chiang Mai and Phuket into the picture, we should see rapid growth from Vietnam,” Napasorn said.

Vietnamese tourists spend an average of Bt31,000 per trip, staying an average of six days in Thailand.

She said the TAT would focus on two niche markets in Vietnam: young travellers and middle-class people who earn more than Bt15,000 per month, and families who are able to travel overseas twice a year.

At least 300,000 of the country’s tourists are estimated to be wealthy, with more than 80 per cent of them living in Ho Chi Minh City, she added.

With a total of 165 flights currently operating between Thailand and Vietnam per week – excluding additional flights planned by Thai Vietjet, Bangkok Airways and Vietnam Airlines – the agency will work with the carriers to promote more marketing activities and packages, as well as participating in three annual national tourism fairs in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang, the director said.

In the other direction, about 230,000 Thai tourists visited Vietnam last year, and the number is expected to rise after more airline seats become available.

The recent opening of Japanese shopping mall Takashimaya in Ho Chi Minh City is also expected to attract more tourists from Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

Napasorn said the TAT also planned to |promote resort-islands such as Phuket, and its yachting segment in particular, to the Lao market, along with wellness and medical check-ups, and shopping.

Moreover, it will promote cross-border tourism by playing a greater role as a gateway into Laos.

“We have learnt that there are more than 10,000 super-rich persons in Laos, and they are our targets,” she added.

For the Cambodian market, the authority will promote Thailand in much the same way as it does for Laos – that is, encouraging more medical and shopping tourists.

More destinations such as Chiang Mai and Phuket will be added to the promotional drive in Cambodia, while the TAT will continue to promote caravan groups for those Cambodians who like to visit provinces on the east coast of Thailand, Napasorn said.