BANGKOK: Thailand will allow 30-day visa-exempted entries by visitors from India, after a proposal to scrap visa-free entry led arrivals from the South Asian nation to drop in a blow to the vital tourism industry.
An initial proposal, which had not come into effect despite being approved by the cabinet in May, had caused confusion for Indian travellers and resulted in a decline of arrivals from the country, Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said after a weekly cabinet meeting.
"The cabinet therefore approved a 30-day visa-free entry to align with the travel behaviour of Indian tourists, who represent a large market for Thailand,” Surasak told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.
"If problems arise from this measure in the future, the government can review it then.”
Indian tourists, the third-biggest group of visitors to Thailand this year behind China and Malaysia, are currently allowed to stay 60 days without a visa. That had been set to end after Thailand in May announced the elimination of visa-free entry for tourists from 93 countries and territories.
Under that proposal, Thailand would have given 30-day visa waivers to just 54 countries and territories.
Other countries that will now receive 30 days of visa-free entry are Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and the Maldives, according to deputy government spokesperson Ploytalay Laksameesangchan. That brings the total of countries and territories that will be eligible for 30-day visa-free visits to 60, she said.
The new 30-day waiver plan, which now accounts for all 27 member states of the European Union, may help Thailand in its ongoing negotiations for Schengen visa exemptions for Thai passport holders, said Ploytalay.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s new conservative government has sought to curb foreigners who exploit Thailand’s visa-free policies to carry out illicit activities, as part of a wider crackdown on transnational scam operations.
He is also seeking to address concerns among local businesses - especially in areas popular with foreign tourists - that their livelihoods are being threatened by visitors who misuse visas to engage in prohibited activities.
The tourism industry, one of Thailand’s main economic drivers, generated nearly US$50 billion from 33 million foreign visitors last year. The country welcomed over 16 million tourists this year up until July 4. - Bloomberg
