The cabinet has given the green light to a visa exemption policy for tourists from India and Taiwan to stay in the kingdom for 30 days, in a bid to draw more revenue as the high season approaches.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters that the policy will be put in place from Nov 10 until 10 May next year, allowing tourists from India and Taiwan to enter without a visa for 30 days under the Immigration Act 1979.
"We will provide visa exemption for Indian and Taiwanese visitors because a lot of their people like to visit Thailand," said the premier.
Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said arrivals from 59 countries can now enter Thailand without an entry visa. Recently, the cabinet agreed to grant visa exemptions for tourists from China and Kazakhstan, on a temporary basis.
India has been Thailand's fourth-largest source market for tourism so far this year with about 1.2 million arrivals from January-September after Malaysia, China and South Korea.
The average Indian tourist is estimated to spend 41,000 baht per trip and stay in the country for 7-8 days. Some 1.55 million Indians are expected to visit the kingdom this year in total, said Mr Chai.
Taiwan is also one of Thailand's main targets. Citing data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Taipei office, about 700,000 tourists from Taiwan are expected to visit this year, nearly reaching the pre-Covid level recorded in 2019 (780,000 arrivals), he said.
Each is estimated to spend 42,900 baht, or 5,200 baht on average per day.
