Thailand to remove visa requirement for Indian, Taiwanese travellers, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com

Bangkok - Thailand will waive visa requirements for arrivals from India and Taiwan (China) from next month to May 2024 in a bid to draw in more tourists as the high season approaches.

In an announcement on October 31, Thai government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said arrivals from India and Taiwan will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a duration of 30 days.

Previously, in September, Thailand already eliminated visa requirements for tourists from China - a key source of visitors with 11 million arrivals in 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest government data reveals that from January to October 29, Thailand served a total of 22 million visitors, contributing 927.5 billion THB (approximately 25.67 billion USD) to the country's economy.

India has emerged as Thailand's fourth-largest source market for tourism this year, following Malaysia, China, and the Republic of Korea, with approximately 1.2 million arrivals.

Thailand expects to welcome about 28 million international visitors this year, with the hope that the travel sector can help offset the continued weak export that has been constraining its economic growth.