New Delhi: Thailand is set to remove visa requirements for travelers from India and Taiwan, starting next month and continuing until May 2024 with an aim to stimulate tourism, particularly with the upcoming peak tourist season.
According to spokesperson Chai Wacharonke, travelers from India and Taiwan will be allowed a 30-day stay in Thailand. India has become Thailand’s fourth-largest tourism contributor this year, ranking after Malaysia, China, and South Korea, with around 1.2 million arrivals.
In September, Thailand had already removed visa requirements for Chinese tourists, a key source of visitors that contributed 11 million arrivals in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic.
According to the latest government data, Thailand welcomed a total of 22 million visitors from January to October 29, contributing 927.5 billion baht (around $25.67 billion) to the country’s economy.
The tourism influx from India is on the rise, with increased attention from airlines and hospitality chains targeting this market. The government’s goal for the current year is to achieve about 28 million tourist arrivals, anticipating that the travel sector could mitigate the persistent challenges in exports, which have been limiting economic growth.
This development underscores Thailand’s efforts to improve its tourism sector by enhancing accessibility for visitors from India and Taiwan.
Other countries where Indian travelers can visit without needing a visa include Albania, Barbados, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Macao (SAR China), Mauritius, Micronesia, Montserrat, Nepal, Niue, Oman, Qatar, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Vanuatu.
