Banknote. Indian passport holders in Thailand will continue to get visa-free entry in Thailand. However, a change has also been made in this. Without visa, Indians will be able to stay in Thailand only for a maximum of 30 days. The Thai government has taken this step for a special reason. In fact, after the proposal to ban visa-free entry of Indians, there was a huge decline in the number of Indian tourists. Let us tell you that India is a big market for Thailand. A large number of Indians go to visit Thailand.
Therefore the decision was taken
The Thailand Cabinet at its weekly meeting on Tuesday approved 30 days visa-free entry for Indian travellers. Tourism Minister Surasak Pancharoenvorakul said the move is aimed at making things easier for Indian tourists. This will also support the tourism industry of the country. He said that hence the Cabinet approved 30 days visa-free entry for Indian tourists. This is a big market for Thailand. The Tourism Minister also said that if any problem arises due to this step in future, the government can review it.
What was the provision earlier?
Indian travelers are currently allowed to stay in Thailand for 60 days without a visa. But the policy was set to end in May after the Thai Cabinet approved a proposal to reduce the list of visa-exempt countries from 93 to 54 and cap the period at 30 days. However, this proposal has not yet been implemented. According to the Tourism Minister, this announcement created confusion among Indian travelers and the number of people coming to Thailand from here reduced significantly. India is the third largest tourist source for Thailand this year after China and Malaysia.
Some other countries also exempted
Along with India, Thailand has also approved 30-day visa-free entry for travelers from Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and Maldives. This information was given by deputy government spokesperson Ploytale Laksmisangchan. After this new decision, the number of countries eligible for 30-day visa-free entry has increased to 60. It also includes all 27 EU member states. Ploytale said the updated policy could also support Thai efforts to gain Schengen visa exemptions for Thai passport holders.
Why are visa policies changing?
The visa policy changes come as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s government seeks to tighten surveillance on foreign countries accused of abusing Thailand’s visa-free system for illegal activities. The government is also responding to the concerns of local businesses, especially in tourist destinations. Tourism is a major economic source for Thailand. Thailand earned nearly $50 billion from 33 million foreign tourists last year and more than 16 million international tourists visited by July 4 this year.
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