After weeks of speculation, Thailand’s Cabinet has confirmed—via an India Today update on 18 July—that Indian passport holders will retain visa-free entry but for a shorter 30-day stay instead of the previous 60-day allowance. Travellers must also complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before departure once the measure is published in the Royal Gazette, expected before the end of July. The reversal follows a sharp 22% drop in Indian arrivals in June, attributed to confusion over a May proposal that would have replaced visa-free access with visa-on-arrival fees. Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the compromise “balances security with market reality,” noting that the typical Indian holidaymaker spends just 8-9 nights in the country. For Indian companies running MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) programmes in Bangkok and Phuket, the decision removes uncertainty over lead-times, but planners must adjust itineraries that exceed 30 days or schedule a visa run. Airlines anticipate a rebound in load factors on the lucrative Mumbai–Phuket and Delhi–Bangkok sectors, where capacity had been cut 12% in July. Meanwhile, the TDAC requirement mirrors India’s own e-Arrival card and is expected to speed up immigration lanes by 30%, according to Thailand’s Immigration Bureau pilot data. Failure to pre-register could see travellers shunted to secondary processing queues on arrival. Thai authorities will review the policy in Q1 2027, leaving open the possibility of reinstating longer-stay privileges if high-spending segments bounce back.
Source: India Today
