Thailand to introduce visa-free arrival for Indians by the end of this year

Thailand’s latest tourism promotions have brought visa-free travel back on the table. With its focus on China and India as the primary regions for boosting tourism, the said proposal has been put forward for urgent consideration.

Currently, citizens of both the countries are required to apply for visa-on-arrival although the service fee was waived until October this year. However, as per the latest news reports, Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said that visa-free travel for Indians and Chinese will likely be introduced this year. He also stated that adding both these countries to the countries that enjoy visa-free entry for a stay of 14 days by as early as November 1, 2019, might bring about a significant change in the tourism circuit.
The revenue target for this year’s Thailand tourism, including domestic tourism, has been set at TBH 3.4 trillion. Reportedly, it is expected that the earnings from international tourists will likely reach around TBH 2.2 trillion, while tourist arrivals are expected to reach beyond 40.5 million.
This move is looked upon as a broader policy to increase tourism revenue, thereby reversing the rate of a slowdown in tourism growth.
Reports also suggest that initially the proposal will be introduced as a one-year pilot project, i.e., offering Indian and Chinese visa-free entry from November 1, which will be a day after the existing visa-on-arrival project ends.

The minister further mentioned that the Chinese market might still be able to deliver as many as 11 million tourists this year. While in 2018, tourist arrivals from India reached 1.5 million, becoming the sixth-largest source of visitors, the growth rate witnessed an impressive rise of 27 percent over 2017.