With visa exemptions on offer, travelling to Thailand has become a lot easier for Indian tourists
Swaati Chaudhury
Indian travellers looking for a bit of wanderlust in Thailand are in for some good news since Thailand has come up with visa-free travel policies until November 11, 2024.
According to Siriporn Tantipanyathep, Consul-General, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Kolkata, “Thailand is a perfect blend of culture, cuisine, shopping and nightlife. There is an amazing luxury in Thailand and India figures among the top three global tourist markets. We believe India will soon emerge as our topmost global tourist market. It’s been the past 1,000 years that both India and Thailand share a cultural heritage in the realm of Buddhism. The governments of both countries have close ties and share cordial relations.” The Consul-General was speaking at the Travel and Tourism Fair 2024 held in Kolkata from July 12 to 14.
Showcasing Thailand to Indian travellers, Siriporn said, “Kolkata is two-and-a-half hours’ by flight and forms the nearest Indian destination to Thailand. Indian tourists fly down to Thailand since it welcomes them.”
In recent times, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are the conventional destinations in Thailand. Siriporn further said, “The new-found destinations include Khao Yai, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, Khao Lak and Phang Nga. There are as many as 30,000 temples in Thailand and tourists can get to experience age-old shrines in the north of the country. The land of Smiles has fabulous landscapes and amazing waterfalls in the north. Pristine beaches are in the south of the country. Tourists can indulge in Thai cuisine and get steeped in festive celebrations. UNESCO has declared Songkran as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year.” Besides, there is Loi Krathong or the annual Festival of Lights which is incidentally one of the biggest festivals in Thailand held in November.
Nearly 1 million Indian tourists flew down to Thailand this year. “We received around 28 million global travellers last year and we are expecting about 40 million tourists in the existing year,” added Siriporn.
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