TOURISTS from India and Taiwan are allowed to enter Thailand without a visa until November 11, 2024.
The move aims to attract more foreign arrivals to a country that is heavily dependent on tourism.
Taiwanese and Indian nationals can stay in Thailand without a visa for up to thirty days.
Previously, Thailand allowed tourists from India and Taiwan to stay in the country for only 15 days under a visa-on-arrival scheme but changes in the system hope to encourage longer stays and more frequent visits from these countries.
The so-called Land of Smiles has been relaxing its visa rules in recent months including those with tourists from Russia and China.
Thailand welcomed more than 12 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2024. The Southeast Asian country aims to attract up to 40 million tourists by the end of the year and generate a tourism revenue of 3.5 trillion baht. The figure is almost twice the 28 million foreign arrivals recorded in 2023.
Thailand’s tourism sector contributes about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy.
Recognizing its crucial role in the nation’s economy, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin set an ambitious goal of attracting 80 million tourists by 2027.
Tourists from India and Taiwan were among Thailand’s top ten markets for this year.
