Promthep Cape is one of Phuket’s most photographed and perhaps best-known location for Thai and foreign tourists. (Photo by Sarot Meksophawannakul)

Tourist arrivals in Thailand rose 5.92% in November from a year earlier, after increasing 12.51% in the previous month, the Tourism and Sports Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry said foreign visitors accounted for 3.35 million last month, a rise of 5.92% from the 3.1 million recorded during the same period of last year.

Visitors from China, Thailand’s biggest source of tourists, jumped 18.33% in November year-on-year, after October’s 27.81% surge, due partly to last year’s comparatively low figures. Tourists from other Asean members came second at 9.5 million, up from 9 million, a 4.7% rise year-on-year.

A total of 3.36 million tourists in November spent 167 billion baht, up 2.98% from a year earlier.

In the January-November period, overall tourist arrivals totalled 35.87 million, up 4.44% from a year earlier. Foreign tourist receipts make up about 12% of Thailand’s gross domestic product.