Indian visitor arrivals in Thailand have surpassed the two million mark in 2024, surpassing the pre-Covid record. The increase has been supported by a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in flights and a visa-free policy.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) celebrated the milestone in Bangkok on Monday. Famed for its beaches and temples, the Southeast Asian nation has always been an attraction for tourists around the world. India is the third-largest source market for the country after China and Malaysia.

In 2019, Thailand had welcomed 1.9 million Indian visitors, and by 2023, Indian arrivals reached 1.6 million, which was 83 per cent of the pre-Covid arrivals.

“Through bespoke campaigns and improved connectivity, we aim to position Thailand as the destination of choice for Indian travellers,” said TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaiboo.

While tour operators are curating new experiences, an expanded air services agreement has enabled airlines from both countries to increase flights. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, the number of flights scheduled between India and Thailand increased by 26 per cent in 2024. For the month of December, the increase is nearly 42 per cent, as airlines are operating nearly a hundred flights a day (arrivals plus departures).

While IndiGo is now the largest airline between the two countries by number of flights, Thai carriers are expanding too. On Monday, Thai AirAsia X began its twice-weekly flights between Bangkok and Delhi. The flight will offer easy connections to other destinations in the region, and its frequency will increase to four from January 15.

From next Monday, VietJet Air Thailand will start a daily service between Bangkok and Mumbai. “India is a large market with consistent demand. It was the first outbound travel market to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic. Expanding to India is the natural step for us,” said the airline’s commercial head, Pinyot Pibulsonggram.