BANGKOK -- China became the top source of tourists to Thailand as the number of Chinese tourists surged and exceeded that of Malaysians in the first half of the year, Thai tourism authorities said Wednesday.

Some 1,124,234 Chinese tourists visited Thailand in the first six months, up 28.9 percent year-on-year. It was the first time the number exceeded one million for a six-month period, according to statistics released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

A total of 10.5 million tourists visited Thailand in the same period, up 7.6 percent year-on-year. Strong growth in the number of Chinese tourists was a major booster of Thai tourism, a TAT spokesperson said.