With peak tourism season approaching, Thailand has announced good news for Indian and Taiwanese tourists: the Thai government has decided to waive visa requirements for arrivals from these two countries from November 2023 to May 2024.
Thailand scrapped visa requirements for Chinese tourists in September 2023, a move that is expected to boost tourism in the country. Chinese tourists were the country's top pre-pandemic tourism market, with 11 million arrivals in 2019.
The visa waiver is part of Thailand's efforts to attract more tourists and fuel economic growth. The country's economy has been struggling in recent months due to weak export demand, and the government is hoping that the visa waiver will boost tourism and create jobs.
Thailand Sees 22 Million Visitors in 2023, Waives Visas for Indians and Taiwanese
Thailand has welcomed over 22 million visitors in the first 10 months of 2023, generating 927.5 billion baht ($25.67 billion) in revenue. In a bid to boost tourism, the Thai government has also waived visa requirements for Indian and Taiwanese tourists for six months, starting November 10, 2023.
India is Thailand's fourth largest source market for tourism this year, with about 1.2 million arrivals after Malaysia, China, and South Korea.
Inbound tourism from India grew as more airlines and hospitality chains targeted that market.
Thailand Targets 28 Million Tourist Arrivals, Hoping to Offset Weak Exports and Boost Economic Growth.