In an effort to promote tourism, the Cabinet has approved the suspension of visa requirements for tourists arriving from India and Taiwan. This new policy will come into effect from November 10, 2023, through May 10, 2024.
Chai Wacharonke, the government’s spokesperson, has announced that travelers from India and Taiwan will now enjoy a visa-free stay of up to 30 days in Thailand. Various government agencies, including the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Interior, have been assigned the task of refining and amending the relevant notifications and regulations to facilitate this change.
From January to September 2023, Thailand has already welcomed over 1.1 million Indian tourists (1,162,251). It is expected that this figure may increase to 1.55 million by the end of 2023. On average, each Indian tourist spends a minimum of 41,000 baht during their visit.
As for Taiwanese tourists, Thailand anticipates hosting over 700,000 of them by year-end, with an estimated expenditure of at least 43,000 baht per individual.
Currently, tourists from 59 countries can enter Thailand without a visa. Furthermore, the Cabinet has recently approved temporary visa exemptions for tourists from China and Kazakhstan, with the aim of boosting tourism in the final quarter of the year. This decision is a response to a decline in Chinese tourist arrivals.