The number of foreign tourists reached 20 million in the first half of the year, an increase on the same period last year of 12%, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

THE government has refused to comment on the almost Bt21 million for Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and his team to travel to Hawaii for the Asean-US Defence Ministers’ meeting on the weekend - a cost that includes the hiring of a charter flight.