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Tourist numbers down in Thailand

Bangkok - The number of tourists visiting Thailand fell by 6.6% in 2014 from the previous year because of the kingdom's political tensions and a drop in the value of the Russian rouble, officials said Thursday.

Some 24.7 million tourists visited Thailand in 2014 compared to 26.7 million in 2013, official figures showed.

The drop in tourist numbers also resulted in 5.8% less revenue, according to Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavarangkul.

Kobkarn attributed the drop in tourists to the political crisis which plagued the country in the first half of 2014 and international economic factors.

The fall of the Russian rouble has contributed to a 21% decline in Russian tourists in November alone, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand.

Russians are the second-largest tourist group to visit Thailand after the Chinese.

The resort island of Phuket has been hit by declining numbers of Russian tourists.

According to Anoma Wongyai, the director of the Tourist Authority in Phuket, Russian tourist numbers have dropped almost 40%.

"We have had to meet with concerned business owners who have all reported significant drops," she said.

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