PM lauds success of visa-free policy
Srettha notes numbers of Taiwanese and Indian tourists set record highs, urges tourism sector to prepare for more arrivals
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin posted a message on X (Twitter) on Saturday stating, "This year, Taiwanese and Indian tourists have reached a record high in travelling to Thailand, compared with the numbers after Covid-19, and are expected to surpass the figures from 2019.
“We have implemented visa exemption measures for Indian and Taiwanese tourists, extending their stay to 60 days starting from the end of 2023 and continuing the programme until November 11, 2024.
“The cooperation from all sectors is leading to a continuous recovery in tourism. In just the first half of 2024, we have seen more than a 30% increase in tourists from major markets like India, and we expect to reach 2 million tourists by the end of this year.
“We are also continuing to extend the 60-day stay period to another 93 countries to attract tourists with high spending power.
“Meanwhile, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is preparing activities to attract tourists from various countries every month.
“I urge the tourism business sector to get ready. The big doors of Thailand are now open."
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), has updated the latest tourism situation for the first six months of 2024. From January 1 to June 30, a total of 17,501,283 international tourists visited Thailand, generating about 825,541 million baht in revenue from tourist expenditures.
The 10 countries with the highest number of international tourists are:
China: 3,439,482 tourists
Malaysia: 2,435,960 tourists
India: 1,040,069 tourists
South Korea: 934,983 tourists
Russia: 920,989 tourists
Laos: 618,792 tourists
Taiwan: 533,280 tourists
United States: 507,895 tourists
Vietnam: 501,895 tourists
United Kingdom: 485,093 tourists
