A general view shows the beach town of Pattaya, nearly 150 km (90 miles) east of Bangkok January 26, 2011. Thailand is assiduously promoting itself as a tourist destination to would-be Indian couples. Last month, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organised "familiarisation trip" for wedding planners from India. popular wedding destinations for Indians can be divided into two categories, beach destinations, including Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Ko Samui, Krabi and Khao Lak, and city destinations, such as, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi, according to TAT.Reuters file 
A tourist poses for a photograph on a boat near Maiton Island in Phuket, Thailand March 18, 2016. With its palm-fringed beaches, Buddhist culture and racy nightlife, Thailand has been the poster child for Asian tourism for decades, attracting a range of visitors from backpackers and adventure-seekers, to families and culture vultures. But dark clouds could be forming even as a record of 32 million tourists are expected this year.Reuters file 
Thai Royal Guards march in front of the Grand Palace during a military parade as a part of a celebration of the upcoming birthday of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok December 3, 2015. The revered King, the world's longest-reigning monarch, passed away on Thursday.Reuters file 
A woman cries as she offers condolences for Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand October 15, 2016.Reuters
The untimely death of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday could prove a temporary setback to the country that has been wooing Indian tourists, especially those wanting to get married at foreign destinations. India is a significant source of tourist arrivals and earnings for the country, as is evident from the fact that 1.05 million Indians visited Thailand in 2015, spending about Rs 9,200 crore, making it the sixth-largest source of foreign visitors.
To promote its tourist hotspots such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had organised 'familiarisation trip' for 20 wedding planners from Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh and Bengaluru last month "to experience first-hand the attractions and wedding facilities."
"We've carefully put together an itinerary on these two routes to update the Indian wedding planners on how these five destinations including Kanchanaburi, Hua Hin, Phuket, and Khao Lak, as well as Bangkok can accommodate all sizes of wedding events from India, ranging from large-scale ceremonies to small, exclusive-sized nuptials," Dr Walailak Noypayak, TAT Executive Director for ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific said in a statement posted on TAT website.
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The country's landscape as wedding destination comprises two categories: beach destinations, including Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Ko Samui, Krabi and Khao Lak, and city destinations, such as, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi, according to the TAT.
Foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand hit a new high of 28 million last year, when Singh Sundeep Kumar, an Indian, arrived as the 28 millionth tourist on December 13, 2015.
"The arrival of the 28 millionth tourist is a testament to the international travellers' confidence in Thailand as a holiday destination, and also signifies 2015 as the greatest year ever for the country's tourism industry," Juthaporn Rerngronasa, Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, TAT said.
To put things in perspective, India received eight million foreign tourists last year.
