BANGKOK (Reuters) -&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;has welcomed 12.46&nbsp;million&nbsp;foreign tourists&nbsp;so&nbsp;far&nbsp;this year, with Malaysia, China and Russia the top three&nbsp;source markets, according to the latest government figures.
Thailand&nbsp;is targeting 25&nbsp;million&nbsp;foreign tourists for the whole year, with Chinese&nbsp;visitors&nbsp;seen at 5&nbsp;million, it said in a statement released on Sunday, which cited figures from Jan. 1 to June 25.
The&nbsp;Southeast Asian country, for years one of Asia's most popular travel destinations, received a record of nearly 40&nbsp;million&nbsp;foreign tourists in pre-pandemic 2019 before authorities imposed two years of crippling COVID-19 curbs.
The&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;sector, a key&nbsp;source of&nbsp;Thailand's jobs and growth, picked up in 2022 with 11.15&nbsp;million&nbsp;visitors, after most restrictions were removed in the second half of the year.
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(Reporting by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Martin Petty)

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