Thailand's Visa-Free Policy Draws Record Tourist Numbers from Taiwan, India

[webfact]

 

Thailand anticipates a record influx of tourists from Taiwan and India this year, thanks to its recent visa-free policy.

 

The visa exemption, initiated in late 2023, now allows Taiwanese and Indian tourists an extended stay of 60 days in Thailand, lasting until November 11. 

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has revealed plans for a reciprocal annual visa-exemption programme with Taiwan and India, set to launch shortly. 

 

TAT Taipei office director Sarima Chindamat expressed optimism, estimating Taiwanese visitor numbers could reach one million this year, surpassing the base-case scenario of 700,000. This would exceed the 2019 visitor count of 781,674.

 

"During the first half of 2024, the visa policy resulted in 533,000 Taiwanese visitors, a 34% increase compared to the same period in 2019, which saw 396,000 arrivals," Chindamat stated.

 

An estimated 18 million Taiwanese are expected to travel abroad this year, surpassing the 17 million who did so in 2019. Popular destinations for Taiwanese tourists include Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam.

 

Chindamat noted lucrative market segments such as LGBTQ tourists, active seniors, families, young people, and golfers, with average spending per Taiwanese visitor around 40,000 Baht (US$1,100) per trip. Flight capacity between Taiwan and Thailand has returned to 2019 levels, offering 1.5 million seats.

 

TAT aims to draw over two million Indian tourists this year, supported by a subsidy for Indian meeting and incentive groups visiting during the low season from July to September. TAT Mumbai office director Isada Saovaros reported that tour operators receive 200 Indian Rupees (86 Baht or US$2) per guest for groups of 100 to 1,000 guests staying over four days and three nights. 

 

"In the first half of the year, Thailand welcomed 1.04 million Indian tourists, with average spending of 38,000 Baht (US$1,000) per trip," Saovaros added.

 

With an expected 29 million trips by Indian tourists by 2025, TAT New Delhi office offers a similar incentive programme for meeting groups exceeding 100 participants. 

 

Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol, TAT New Delhi office director, estimated flight capacity for Indian travellers this year to recover to 90% of 2019 levels. 

 

"Besides major destinations like Bangkok and Phuket, we encourage airlines to consider new routes to Krabi and Chiang Mai," she added, targeting Indian tourists from second-tier cities. 

 

As Thailand enhances its tourist attractions and accessibility, it aims to solidify its position as a premier travel destination in Asia.

 

Picture courtesy: Positioning

 

-- 2024-07-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[Lorry]

Neither Indians nor Taiwanese stay 60 days (if they are tourists).

Friends are just visiting Chiang Mai on a "5-days tour" which means 3 nights. 

But, yes, visa free helps. And TAT saw to it that this has been broadly publicized worldwide.

[spidermike007]

Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian. One could argue that these are relatively low quality tourists, in terms of the amounts of money that they spend. Sure you have a few wealthy Russians and some wealthy Chinese, but most are lower to middle income and don't spend alot. 

 

This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways. 

 

And now they have invited in the Bratva, by opening up the country to all Russians. Quantity over quality only works if you are selling $2 items at a swap meet. Dumb and dumber. 

 

[Zack61]

Big screen tv sales will skyrocket 

[4MyEgo]

Pull the other one will you.

[Homburg]

"Record Tourist Numbers"

 

Cue the anti-tourist demonstrations?

[ignore it]

 

It's not the easy visas, it's the temples and historical sites, the beaches and islands, nature and adventure, cultural events and festivals, unique markets and good food, the hookers and legal weed.

[Hayduke]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"In the first half of the year, Thailand welcomed 1.04 million Indian tourists, with average spending of 38,000 Baht (US$1,000) per trip," Saovaros added.

 

Never mind the visa-free......the Indians are here for Thailand's world famous ladyboy cricket....

 

 

[hotchilli]

47 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Neither Indians nor Taiwanese stay 60 days (if they are tourists).

Friends are just visiting Chiang Mai on a "5-days tour" which means 3 nights. 

But, yes, visa free helps. And TAT saw to it that this has been broadly publicized worldwide.

But plenty of time for undesirables to come and disappear.

[mikeymike100]

25 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian. One could argue that these are relatively low quality tourists, in terms of the amounts of money that they spend. Sure you have a few wealthy Russians and some wealthy Chinese, but most are lower to middle income and don't spend alot. 

 

This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways. 

 

And now they have invited in the Bratva, by opening up the country to all Russians. Quantity over quality only works if you are selling $2 items at a swap meet. Dumb and dumber. 

 

Correct, but as always with the Thai Government and TAT, they only think short term and about the money!

[shackleton]

Looks like Thailands tourist board prefer quantity of  tourist numbers rather than quality ones

Prefer to see large numbers on arrival rather than big spenders 🤑

[Frankie baby]

Thailand anticipates a record influx of tourists from Taiwan and India this year, thanks to its recent visa-free policy.
 

 

"Anticipate" or in other words "hope" that these tourists will arrive is grabbing at straws again. The same as the figures or data given in the rest of the thread. Big advertisement campaigns have gone out around the western world, but as yet with very little response. Stick hold of the pensioners & retirees already here, if you want the Baht to hold up in the coming future. 

[kwilco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

lasting until November 11

so does that mean issuing of all 60 day visa exempts end in November?

[kwilco]

54 minutes ago, Frankie baby said:

Thailand anticipates a record influx of tourists from Taiwan and India this year, thanks to its recent visa-free policy.
 

 

"Anticipate" or in other words "hope" that these tourists will arrive is grabbing at straws again. The same as the figures or data given in the rest of the thread. Big advertisement campaigns have gone out around the western world, but as yet with very little response. Stick hold of the pensioners & retirees already here, if you want the Baht to hold up in the coming future. 

How do you know all this?

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian.

Perception is skewed - the numbers of western tourists have been pretty constant - visitors from India china and Russia have increased exponentially.

Malaysia has always been one of the top visitors - a reason for this is border crossing in the South which are in the thousands every day.

[Reddavy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Thailand anticipates a record influx of tourists from Taiwan and India this year, thanks to its recent visa-free policy.

 

The visa exemption, initiated in late 2023, now allows Taiwanese and Indian tourists an extended stay of 60 days in Thailand, lasting until November 11. 

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has revealed plans for a reciprocal annual visa-exemption programme with Taiwan and India, set to launch shortly. 

 

TAT Taipei office director Sarima Chindamat expressed optimism, estimating Taiwanese visitor numbers could reach one million this year, surpassing the base-case scenario of 700,000. This would exceed the 2019 visitor count of 781,674.

 

"During the first half of 2024, the visa policy resulted in 533,000 Taiwanese visitors, a 34% increase compared to the same period in 2019, which saw 396,000 arrivals," Chindamat stated.

 

An estimated 18 million Taiwanese are expected to travel abroad this year, surpassing the 17 million who did so in 2019. Popular destinations for Taiwanese tourists include Thailand, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam.

 

Chindamat noted lucrative market segments such as LGBTQ tourists, active seniors, families, young people, and golfers, with average spending per Taiwanese visitor around 40,000 Baht (US$1,100) per trip. Flight capacity between Taiwan and Thailand has returned to 2019 levels, offering 1.5 million seats.

 

TAT aims to draw over two million Indian tourists this year, supported by a subsidy for Indian meeting and incentive groups visiting during the low season from July to September. TAT Mumbai office director Isada Saovaros reported that tour operators receive 200 Indian Rupees (86 Baht or US$2) per guest for groups of 100 to 1,000 guests staying over four days and three nights. 

 

"In the first half of the year, Thailand welcomed 1.04 million Indian tourists, with average spending of 38,000 Baht (US$1,000) per trip," Saovaros added.

 

With an expected 29 million trips by Indian tourists by 2025, TAT New Delhi office offers a similar incentive programme for meeting groups exceeding 100 participants. 

 

Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol, TAT New Delhi office director, estimated flight capacity for Indian travellers this year to recover to 90% of 2019 levels. 

 

"Besides major destinations like Bangkok and Phuket, we encourage airlines to consider new routes to Krabi and Chiang Mai," she added, targeting Indian tourists from second-tier cities. 

 

As Thailand enhances its tourist attractions and accessibility, it aims to solidify its position as a premier travel destination in Asia.

 

Picture courtesy: Positioning

 

-- 2024-07-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Well the straw manufacturers will be working 24/7 to cope with the extra indians 🤷🏼

[AndreasHG]

The new VISA policy is already having an impact: yesterday evening in Soi Cowboy, eight different Indian traffickers tried to sell me fake Rolex watches.
Most of them were new to the business. Only two of them were thugs usually seen in Sukhumvit between soi 11 and soi 23.
Thailand is a high-income country compared to India. Indian lowlifes will flock here attracted by the opportunities the land of Smiles grants.

[daejung]

Strange, the price of visa does not count for anything in the cost of a trip.

[Gknrd]

"Good guys in bad guys out"  Ok, that didn't work... Ok, everybody in...

[arick]

86 bht is $2. Really 

[AreYouGerman]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is no longer attracting very many Western tourists for a dozen very good reasons. Right now it is predominantly Malaysian, Indian, Arab, Chinese, and Russian. One could argue that these are relatively low quality tourists, in terms of the amounts of money that they spend. Sure you have a few wealthy Russians and some wealthy Chinese, but most are lower to middle income and don't spend alot. 

 

This process will not be reversed until the authorities wake up and make some sacrifices such as lowering luxury taxes, lowering wine taxes, cleaning up the air, making the highways safer, allowing more private air travel, helicopter travel, high-speed trains and alternatives to the totally choked and extremely hazardous highways. 

 

And now they have invited in the Bratva, by opening up the country to all Russians. Quantity over quality only works if you are selling $2 items at a swap meet. Dumb and dumber. 

 

 

Source? Or opinion?

[RT555]

The Thai Government...                       Has no <deleted> idea what is going on... You have to laugh your <deleted> off... I mean really

[paulikens]

Haven't heard anymore on the unlimited border runs that someone claimed a IO said.   Too early to know I suppose.  

[Sigmund]

Obviously Thailand seems to understand that far less trouble with the Indians who do spend a good deal nevertheless. And perhaps less of the problems related to drugs and booze in comparison to other westerners. The problem is that most westerners who come here are those dragging various issues and problems. The indians or Asians come quite a bit with their families and thus are less an hassle. Of course like anything else, always exceptions to the rule. But in general, the indians and asians have far less that sense of superiority, then many of our fellow westerners tend to display in Thailand and when abroad.

[rumeaug]

Nam nam...birdie nam nam..

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, AreYouGerman said:

 

Source? Or opinion?

neither - it's guessing and presumption.

[Sydebolle]

Quantity of quality - up to them! 

[Polaky]

Westerners should avoid these popular tourist destinations and travel to numerous isaan destinations, where your more likely to be welcomed, less likely to be scammed, and you don't need a fat wallet.

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, AreYouGerman said:

 

Source? Or opinion?

His opinions are usually spot on, and this time he is on-point....imho

[nahkit]

So the headline says "thailands visa free policy draws record tourist numbers from taiwan india"

 

And the first line of the article says "Thailand anticipates a record influx of tourists from Taiwan and India this year, thanks to its recent visa-free policy."

 

 So which one is it? They have already drawn a record number of tourists less than a week after it was announced or they anticipate that it might?

 

The usual totally crud reporting.