Thailand’s cabinet has formally reinstated visa-free entry of up to 30 days for Indian passport-holders, reversing a proposal floated in May to scrap the facility. Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul told reporters after the 15 July meeting that Indian visitors remain “an indispensable market” and that curbing access had already caused a visible dip in bookings. India is Thailand’s third-largest source market after China and Malaysia, supplying 1.8 million arrivals in 2025 and an estimated USD 3 billion in tourism receipts. Under the revised order, Indians (along with travellers from Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and the Maldives) may enter Thailand without a visa for 30 days when arriving by air or land. The stay limit is shorter than the 60-day exemption in force since 2024, but industry stakeholders say having clarity is more valuable than a longer allowance. Hotels and DMCs surveyed by the Thai Hotels Association reported cancellation rates of up to 15 % in June while the policy hung in limbo; many expect the new certainty to stabilise demand for autumn conferences and weddings. For Indian corporates the rollback removes the need to budget an extra THB 2,000 (about ₹4,500) and two to three weeks’ processing time for a single-entry tourist visa that would otherwise have been required from 1 August. Travel-management companies (TMCs) that handle incentive groups say the decision will help salvage programmes shifted to Malaysia and Vietnam during the period of uncertainty. Airlines, too, are already responding: Thai Airways has added a fourth daily Delhi–Bangkok rotation from 20 August, while IndiGo said it will resume Kolkata–Phuket services paused earlier this year. Practical advice for travellers: carry proof of onward travel and hotel bookings, and ensure your passport has at least six months’ validity. Indian nationals who need to stay longer than 30 days must apply for an extension at a local Immigration Bureau office and pay the THB 1,900 fee. Business visitors engaged in remunerative activities should still obtain the appropriate non-immigrant ‘B’ visa before departure. Looking ahead, Bangkok is weighing a tiered visa-waiver matrix aligned with average length of stay by source market; officials hinted the 30-day limit for Indians could be revisited if overstay statistics remain low. For now, however, the restoration offers welcome relief to airlines, hoteliers and thousands of Indian leisure and MICE travellers planning trips for the upcoming Puja and Diwali seasons.
Source: ABP Live
