Thailand scraps visa requirements for Indians to draw more tourists

New Delhi, October 31

Thailand has decided to waive visa requirements for travellers from India and Taiwan from next month to May 2024, a government official said on Tuesday, as the country is keen to attract more tourists in the peak season to rev up its economy.

According to Thai government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke, arrivals from India and Taiwan will be permitted to stay in Thailand for 30 days.

India has emerged as Thailand’s fourth-largest source market for tourism this year with about 1.2 million arrivals. Malaysia, China and South Korea constitute the first three respectively.

Thailand has already waived visa requirements for Chinese tourists in September to attract more visitors.

From January to October 29, there were 22 million visitors to Thailand, generating 927.5 billion baht ($25.67 billion), the latest government figures showed.

The country aims to attract 28 million tourists as its new government hopes to bring a slowing economy back on the growth path.