Thailand has announced an indefinite extension of its visa-free entry policy for Indian nationals. The scheme was scheduled to expire on November 11, 2024. Under this policy, Indian visitors can stay in Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days.
Simplifying the entry process boosted the tourism industry
Visa-free entry eases the entry process for tourists, thereby increasing tourism in that country. With the increase in tourists comes the demand for tourism related services such as food, tours and local transport. This creates jobs and strengthens the economy.
Visa-free entry for Indian tourists started last year
To boost its economy, Thailand announced visa-free entry for India on 10 November 2023. The plan was expected to bring in an additional 1.4 million tourists, Thai government spokesman Chai Watchronke said. It will generate an additional income of 1.5 billion dollars i.e. about 12 thousand crore rupees.
An Indian family vacationing in Phuket Island, Thailand.
Earlier there was visa on arrival facility for Indians
Earlier, Indian tourists had to apply for a 15-day visa on arrival at the immigration checkpoint. It also announced visa-free entry for Chinese nationals in September before India. In 2019, most people visited Thailand from China. Of Thailand's record 39 million arrivals, 11 million were from China.
Tourism contributes 20% to Thailand's GDP
Thailand's tourism sector contributes about 20% of its total GDP, but is struggling to recover in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, Sri Lanka's tourism sector has also been affected by Covid. To boost tourism in such a situation, Sri Lanka has also announced visa free entry for seven countries including India and China till 31 March 2024.
The number of Indians traveling abroad reached 2.1 crore
Indian government data shows that the number of Indians traveling abroad has increased from 14 million in 2011 to 27 million in 2019. After that, the tourism sector came to a standstill for two years due to the corona epidemic. In 2022, this number will rise again to 2.1 crore.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
