BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Thailand saw 3.78 million tourist arrivals from January to Aug 17, a government official said on Friday (Aug 19).

The arrivals, mainly from Malaysia, India and Singapore, generated revenues of 176 billion baht (S$6.8 billion), said Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesperson for the government's Covid-19 taskforce.

Thailand will extend the duration of its visa-on-arrival, which applies to nationals of India, China and Saudi Arabia, from 15 days to 30 days starting in October, said Taweesin.

The measure is aimed at boosting the tourism sector as it recovers from a pandemic-induced slump.

Last year, foreign arrivals plummeted to just 428,000 because of the pandemic, compared with a record of nearly 40 million in 2019, contributing to about 12 per cent of GDP.

South-east Asia's second-largest economy expects 8 million to 10 million arrivals this year, above an earlier forecast of 7 million, according to the Finance Ministry.