Thailand is scrapping visas for scores of tourists in order to rekindle the fire in its tourism sector.
Between Nov. 10 this year and May 10, 2024, Indian tourists will be able to enter Thailand without a visa, Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters after a cabinet meeting today (Oct. 31), Bloomberg reported. Taiwan has also been included in the plan.
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Months before this provision was announced, the Tourism Authority of Thailand already estimated a million tourists from the world’s most populous country will visit this year. The new move could prop the number up further.
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The south Asian country is a popular destination for a diverse set of Indians—from young couples looking for a scenic, romantic vacation to health and wellness enthusiasts seeking spa retreats. Thus far, Indians have been able to get a relatively un-cumbersome15-day visa-on-arrival, but the new plan will save immigration time and do away with the $57 visa fee for Indian passport holders.
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People of interest: Chinese tourists
Indian and Taiwan are the third and fourth nation to be awarded the Thai tourism visa exemption. Over a month ago, two other countries were given the free pass.
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Starting Sept. 25, Thailand removed visa requirements for tourists from China and Kazakhstan until Feb. 29, 2024. The Thai prime minister himself greeted, took photos with, and distributed gifts to about 300 travelers from Shanghai who arrived on the very first day the requirements were lifted.
Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists comprised the biggest share of international tourists to Thailand, but that’s not the case anymore. Less than a third of that Chinese traveler traffic has been recovered. A boost of some kind was the need of the hour.
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Already, the announcement led to a 30% uptick in hotel and flight bookings, according to tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said.
Tourism in Thailand, by the digits
2.9 million: Chinese tourists Thailand expects to arrive as a result of the five-month visa exemption program
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140.3 billion baht ($3.8 billion): Tourism revenue Thailand expects to earn from the visa waiver program for Chinese nationals
22,000: Chinese travelers that entered Thailand in the program’s first two days, as per government spokesman Chai Wacharonke
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2 million: Indian tourists that visited Thailand annually before the covid outbreak disrupted travel
28 million: Tourists Thailand is expecting by year-end, down significantly from the pre-pandemic record of almost 40 million. Until Oct. 29, 22 million international travelers had visited the country.
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12%: Share of Thai GDP that comes from tourism
One-fifth: Jobs in Thailand that are in the tourism industry
One more thing: Visa-free travel to Sri Lanka
Last week, the Sri Lankan government approved visa-free entry for travelers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand until March 2024. Like Thailand, it’s hoping this will be a shot in the arm for its flailing tourism industry. Sri Lanka has a lot more to recover from than just the pandemic—April 2019 terrorist bombings, economic and political turmoil, a national debt crisis, and more.
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