Addressing a conference on November 5, Anucha said that tourist arrivals to Thailand totalled 7.56 million as of October 30, with at least 3 million visitors expected during the remaining months of 2022.
More than 1 million Malaysians have toured Thailand this year, making them the single-largest group of travellers.
Almost 600,000 Indians visited Thailand in the first nine months of 2022, compared with less than 1,000 a year earlier.
The Thai Cabinet in July lifted all travel restrictions after a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in a bid to spur its economy and draw tourists.
The number of visitors may surge to 18 million next year and generate about 970 billion baht (26 billion USD) in tourism revenue, Anucha also said.
Malaysia-China trade hits nearly 100 bln USD
Malaysia-China economic ties have continued to strengthen, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 98 billion USD between January and November, matching the 2023 total trade volume.