National —
On December 19th, 2024, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong announced Thailand’s record of welcoming 2 million Indian tourists in 2024, a historic milestone. The government now targets 2.5 million Indian visitors by 2025 through events, festivals, and strategic collaborations.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to work closely with Indian tourism associations and Thai-Indian communities to organize events such as Diwali festivals, global concerts, and “Little India” attractions.
Indian weddings, a high-spending segment, will also be a focus, with an average budget of 7–10 million baht per event with over 150 attendees. Thailand aims to ease regulations on importing jewelry for weddings and improve safety and convenience for guests.
Airlines are being incentivized to increase flights between the two countries. Thai Airways has already resumed 185 weekly flights, recovering 90% of pre-pandemic levels. TAT also seeks to attract Indian tourists to lesser-visited cities like Chiang Mai by promoting entertainment and family-friendly destinations such as zoos and waterparks.
Despite optimism, challenges include fluctuating demand on return flights to India, a strong baht affecting travel costs, and global economic pressures that may reduce outbound tourism from India, according to Sorawong.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
