Indian travelers have reason to celebrate as The Royal Thai Government has decided to extend the 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 for Indian Nationals until 10 November, 2024. This exemption was due to end on 10 May, 2024. Thailand Government had announced Visa exemption for India alongwith tourists from few other countries last year. Exemption started from November 2023.
Extension of Visa exemption was announced today. After this date, standard visa requirements will return, unless extended further. Under the Visa exemption maximum permitted stay in Thailand is of 30 days. Thus Indian travellers can just purchase a return air ticket and fly in to Thailand.
India is a crucial source market for Thailand’s tourism industry; it ranks fourth after Malaysia, China, and Singapore, as of 2023.
Outside the temporary exemption period, Indian passport holders must have a Thailand visa to enter the country, according to the country’s visa policy. The electronic visa on arrival (eVOA) is largely regarded as the best way to obtain one.
There are different types of visas available for Indians travelling to Thailand. The type of visa an Indian traveler should get depends on the reason for travel. For example, tourist visas are required for vacations, while business visas are required for business trips.
An Indian passport holder can usually complete an online application for the Thailand electronic visa on arrival (eVOA) for tourism purposes. This option has been suspended for Indians while the visa-exemption is in place.
By pre-registering for an electronic Thailand visa on arrival online before traveling, this saves time by avoiding filling out paperwork at the border. The simple online system is also far quicker and more convenient than going in person to an embassy to fill out forms and submit documentation.
In 2023, Thailand welcomed 28 million visitors, generating a revenue of 1.2 trillion Baht. Of these, 651,049 visitors from the Middle East, a 28% increase compared to the pre-COVID year of 2019.
For 2024, TAT has set a target of generating 3 trillion Baht, with 1.92 trillion Baht coming from international tourism and 1.08 trillion Baht from domestic tourism. These include over 1.11 million travellers from the Middle East and more than 106 billion Baht revenue.
Thailand recorded 11.95 million foreign tourist arrivals from the January to April 28 period. Foreign tourism generated revenue of 575 billion baht ($15.52 billion) in that period, it said. Thailand is targeting about 40 million foreign visitors this year and the sector is a key driver of its economy.