Thailand extends visa waiver for Indians by six months

Thailand has extended a visa exemption scheme applicable to Indians for another six months as New Delhi’s eastern neighbor looks to shore up its tourism sector. 

The earlier visa exemption policy for Indians that was introduced in November last year was set to expire on Friday, 10 May.

Tourists and travelers from India and Taiwan will be able to enter the country without a visa till 11 November, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 7 May.

Thailand thrives on tourism, which constitutes about 18% of the Southeast Asian nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In an interview with Press Insider earlier this year, the Indian ambassador to Thailand, Nagesh Singh, said Indians are an important source of tourism for the country.

Under the visa-free entry scheme, Indian passport holders can visit Thailand for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa beforehand.

In 2019, before covid struck, Thailand welcomed about 40 million tourists, more than the 28 million foreigners that it received last year. As per the Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1.6 million Indian tourists visited the country in 2023.

Post-covid, the Thai administration has been easing visa requirements for its key tourism sources, which also includes Malaysia, China, South Korea, and Russia.

Between January and March, the country has seen a 39% jump in foreign tourist arrivals at about 12 million, according to ministry of tourism and sports data. 

Ambassador Singh had indicated that he wouldn’t be surprised if the visa-free entry policy for Indian tourists were extended by six months, given how aggressively the Thai government is promoting tourism.