Bangkok tops Paris, London as world's most-visited city: MasterCard

13 Sept 23:51 Key points summarised by AI

Bangkok claimed the title of the world's most-visited city for the fourth straight year, drawing 22.8 million visitors and outranking Paris and London.
Global tourism has surged, with international visitor numbers across 200 cities growing by 76% over the past decade.
Despite its top ranking, Thailand's tourism sector faced headwinds, including a dip in Chinese arrivals, though an increase in Indian tourists helped mitigate the decline.
Thailand is actively promoting tourism, projecting 2 million Indian tourists in 2019 and extending visa-on-arrival fee waivers for visitors from 18 nations, including China and India.
The vast potential of the Chinese travel market remains significant, driven by a burgeoning middle class and increased travel accessibility.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Today 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.