Thailand Sees Surge in Indian Tourist Arrivals with Visa-Free Policy Launch

(CTN News) – The extension of visa waivers leads to exceptional growth in the Thai tourism sector, enhancing economic prospects in both primary and secondary cities.

The number of Indian travelers to Thailand has increased dramatically since the government implemented a visa-free regime for Indian passport holders.

The first phase of this program, running from November 10, 2023 to May 10, 2024, experienced a significant increase of Indian tourists compared to 2022. To keep the number of arrivals up, the government extended the visa waiver from May 11 to November 11, and this time it began stamping Indian passports for 60 days.

The goal was to attract more Indian tourists to Thailand, so lessening the impact of India’s outbound travel tax policy, which was raised from 5% to 20% on October 1, 2023, potentially impacting Indian travelers’ desire to travel abroad.

Patsi Permwongsenee, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) regional director for ASEAN, South Asia, and South Pacific, stated

Thailand will expect up to 2 million Indian tourists, which exceeds the initial aim of 1.7 million. During the first half of this year (January to June), the Kingdom welcomed 1.04 million Indian visitors.

This represents continual development from 2023, when 1.62 million Indian tourists visited Thailand, up 14% from the initial target of 1.42 million. Tourists spent 38,052 baht per person on average, producing around 61.97 billion baht for the economy.

However, these figures are still lower than before the epidemic in 2019, when the Indian tourist sector had 1.96 million tourists who spent an average of 40,814 baht each trip, generating more than 80.04 billion baht in income.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of a potential boom in Indian tourists this year, Thai officials have been talking with various airlines to enhance aircraft capacity and itineraries.

This plan takes into account the strong demand for travel among young Indians and the growing middle-income population.

Consumer behaviour in India has switched from saving money to spending more on lifestyle, resulting in increased overseas travel for leisure, weddings, festivities, events, and sports.

“Available potential suggest that India will become one of the world’s major aviation markets. Patsi stated that Akasa Air, a new airline, will soon begin international flights, including those to Thailand.

In the first six months of this year, three airlines added new routes to Bangkok: Indigo Airlines began daily flights to and from Hyderabad on February 26; Thai Airways began three weekly flights between Kochi and Bangkok on April 2; and Thai AirAsia began three weekly flights to and from Visakhapatnam on April 9.

To satisfy rising demand, Air India has quadrupled the number of daily flights between New Delhi and Phuket since June 1.

Separately, CAAT and India’s Civil Aviation Ministry agreed in March to expand available flight seats from 28,759 to 42,000 per week. Airlines responded warmly, with plans to alter aircraft sizes and expand trips.

“Some airlines are also aiming to add new routes, such as Thai Airways’ flights to and from Amritsar and Indigo Airlines’ flights between New Delhi and Chiang Mai or Krabi. Patsi expects these improvements to become more concrete in the coming two months as the high season approaches.

Meanwhile, the top five Indian tourist destinations in Thailand are Bangkok, Chonburi, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga.

Phang Nga, Krabi, Phuket (other than Patong Beach), Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Pha-ngan), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), and Kanchanaburi are all potential secondary cities.

The majority of Indian tourists to Thailand, or 76%, go alone, with the remainder opting for vacation packages. Sixty-two percent of visitors are first-timers, with the remaining 38% being regular visitors.

The most popular activities for Indian tourists in Thailand are Thai cuisine, nightlife, beach vacations, massage and spa treatments, and visiting historical sites. Current Indian tourism trends include leisure, corporate vacations, and increased travel for weddings and anniversaries.

Source: National Thailand