In a bid to attract more Indian tourists, Thailand has waived visa requirements for Indian citizens from November 2023 to May 2024. This move comes after Sri Lanka announced visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries, including India. Many countries are targeting Indian travelers as a key market for tourism in the wake of the pandemic. India has been among the top four source markets for Thailand’s tourism industry this year.
Thailand has recently announced a measure to enhance its appeal to tourists as the peak season draws near. Effective from the upcoming month until May 2024, the country will temporarily waive visa requirements for travelers from India and Taiwan.
This decision, as reported by Reuters, builds upon a previous action taken in September, which eliminated visa obligations for Chinese tourists. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese visitors constituted a significant portion of Thailand’s tourist influx, with 11 million out of the record-breaking 39 million arrivals in 2019.
According to spokesperson Chai Wacharonke, individuals from India and Taiwan will be permitted to enter Thailand for 30 days.
Thailand has witnessed a significant influx of tourists, as indicated by the latest government data, with a staggering 22 million visitors recorded between January and October 29. This surge in tourism has resulted in a substantial revenue of 927.5 billion baht, equivalent to $25.67 billion.
In an effort to further enhance the tourism sector, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has announced that travelers from India and Taiwan will be granted visa-free entry to Thailand from November 10th this year to May 10th next year. This decision, which was made during a cabinet meeting, aims to attract more tourists to the country.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s most recent data, tourists from Malaysia have constituted the largest group of visitors this year, with an impressive arrival count exceeding 3 million. Moreover, according to recent projections by the tourism agency in Thailand, the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country is expected to reach between 4 to 4.4 million by the year 2023. As from the pilot project, the Sri Lanka Cabinet has approved the issuance of free visas to visitors from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand until March 31, 2024. This initiative was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry, and marks a significant change as visitors from these nations can now obtain visas for Sri Lanka without any charges. While India has historically been the primary source of inbound tourism for Sri Lanka, the country has now extended the issuance of free visas to visitors from China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand until March 31, 2024. This initiative was approved by the Sri Lanka Cabinet as a pilot project and was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry. Visitors from these nations can now obtain visas for Sri Lanka without any charges, marking a significant change.