Amid Thailand to Resume Visa-On-Arrival Soon, India Gets New E-Visa

An e-visa for Thailand to Indian visitors begins from 1st January making travel & tourism easier with successful visa process to increase bilateral business & tourism.

From 1st January 2025, visa applications for Indian travelers would be streamlined by an electronic system (therefrom e-visa system) in Thailand for travelers intending to stay over 60 days. Under current rules, Indian tourists continue to enjoy a visa-free stay for not more than 60 days but e-visa is the new procedure in place of the traditional one for extending the number of days of stay. Ordinary Passport holders would still continue to enjoy the visa exemption for short-term visits, confirmed by the Thai embassy in Delhi.

Travel & tourism will benefit most from the e-visa, as it will free the people from submitting passports at embassies. Processing of applications is within 14 working days. The e-visa came after the announcement on visa waiver extension to Indians for 60-day stays, a 30-day extension option for them.

In 2023, more than 1.7 million people from India visited Thailand to make the country the third-largest source of tourists in Thailand. It is further expected to generate INR 185 billion ($2.2 billion) through tourism revenue from India. To attract more Indian visitors, the newly inaugurated direct flights of Thai airways to India include Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai to augment travel & tourism further.

The travel & tourism sector of India is also expected to grow faster, reaching a double value of $523 billion by 2034. Future job creation will be in millions from this expansion of one contributing industry into the economy. At the same time, this sector becomes more resource-efficient and minimizes carbon footprint as it grows.

As both countries improve connectivity, the boom has inevitably come into the travel and tourism industry for both travelers and economies.