The prime minister of Thailand on Tuesday announced to offer visa-free entry to tourists as the government seeks to rebuild the tourism sector after it was battered by the pandemic.
According to the reports, the Indian and Taiwanese tourists can stay for up to 30 days under the six month trial, starting from next month.
Thailand’s tourism sector which generate about 20 percent of overall GDP, has struggled to get back on its feet since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand,” Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.
Until now, tourists from India and Taiwan have had to apply for a 15-day visa-on-arrival at immigration checkpoints, presenting a bank statement and proof of accommodation.
The move comes after the government opened a similar visa-free scheme for Chinese tourists in September.
Government spokesman Chai Watcharong said authorities hoped the scheme would attract 1.4 million extra tourists, generating an additional 55 billion baht ($1.5 billion) in income.
About 1.2 million Indians visited Thailand in the first nine months of 2023 according to tourism ministry data — the fourth highest number after Malaysia, China and South Korea.
Srettha, who took power in August following months of political wrangling after a May election, has said boosting
