The other nine cities were Sydney, Taipei, Dubai, Cape Town, Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York and Las Vegas.

Airports of Thailand (AoT) President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said more than 12,000 flights are expected to arrive at the six international airports under its supervision during the New Year period, bringing as many as two million passengers.

Thailand was also named the top destination for North American and European tourists in a recent BBC News poll, which reported that 57.4% of respondents would choose to visit Thailand over other Southeast Asian nations.

Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri meanwhile said about 11.5 million visitors have so far arrived in Thailand this year, bringing in roughly half the revenue reported by the sector in 2019. The government is now expecting at least 2.38 trillion baht in tourism revenue by the end of 2023.