E-visa and visa drop boxes in India would facilitate tourism

Officials expect e-visas will help India become the next million-tourist destination. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates an increase in the number of Indian tourists as more airlines build new routes between India and Thailand. To meet demand, Tier-2 Indian cities are increasing flights to Thailand.

Last month, more than 500,000 Indians visited Thailand. This year, 561-656 Indians have entered the kingdom, according to the Bangkok Post. The fourth quarter of 2022 is anticipated to see an increase in the number of tourists visiting Thailand. The India Business Travel Trade Agency monitors societal sentiment. 66% of Indians prefer Thailand as their short-haul destination of choice. By facilitating visas, the TAT seeks to attract Asian markets such as India. e-Visas are vital, according to the Deputy Governor for Asia and the South Pacific at TAT. Adopting e-visas will facilitate travel from short-haul countries to Thailand. Covid-19 brought a halt to the government’s e-visa initiative for Chinese travelers. TAT asserts that reinstating the program would liberate many travelers from red tape. According to foreigners, consulates and embassies are difficult to reach. Tourists were more concerned with the procedure than with the visa charge. While China is still healing from the Covid virus, India is set to arrive but is undergoing the visa process. Since China has more embassies and consulates than India, obtaining a Thai visa can be difficult. Electronic visas would resolve these concerns.

According to The Times of India, Thailand is making it easier to obtain a physical visa in India. VFS Global will administer visa drop boxes for Thai visas in eleven Tier-2 cities. Indians can obtain visas upon arrival, but their stay is limited to 15 days. Long-term visitors to India are required to apply for visas at embassies. Agra, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Dehradun, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Ludhiana, Patna, Siliguri, and Visakhapatnam have drop box services. The current expansion allows Indians to travel to Thailand from eleven additional countries. Aurangabad, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Indore, Lucknow, Mangalore, Nagpur, Nasik, Ranchi, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada