India offers free 30-day visa for Thai tourists until end of the year
To boost Thai tourist arrivals and balance the growing number of Indian tourists visiting Thailand, India is offering Thai travellers a 30-day visa-free entry until the end of 2025.
The Indian government announced that Thai visitors could now apply for an e-tourist visa online without paying any entry fee, encouraging more Thais to explore India.
The Indian embassy in Thailand confirmed that from February 7 onwards, Thai tourists could enter India for up to 30 days without paying visa fees. This applies to both single and double-entry e-tourist visas until December 31 this year. However, Thai visitors must apply in advance through the IndianVisaOnline.gov.in website to qualify for the fee exemption.
The initiative follows the Indian government’s decision to increase flight capacity between Thailand and India by 7,000 seats per week across six major routes: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Calcutta, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. This expansion is expected to accommodate the rising demand for travel between the two countries.
According to a tourism source, India’s move aims to balance the sharp rise in Indian tourists visiting Thailand after the Thai government allowed Indian nationals to enter without a visa fee and without the need to apply in advance for a 60-day stay.
“India hopes this measure will stimulate Thai tourist arrivals and strengthen tourism ties between the two countries.”
In 2022, approximately 2 million Indian tourists visited Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects this number to increase to between 2.3 and 2.54 million this year, with 185,809 Indian tourists visiting Thailand in January alone, reported The Nation.
With India’s generous visa policy, Thai travellers now have more reasons to explore India’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes. The visa-free scheme is expected to boost tourism, benefiting both nations economically and culturally.
In similar news, The Thai Senate has urged the government to reconsider its visa-free policy for Chinese citizens, warning that it could turn Thailand into a hub for criminal activities.
Senator Wanchai Ekpornpichit raised the issue during a Senate meeting, highlighting that the policy, aimed at boosting tourism, has been exploited by criminal syndicates.
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